(Katherine) Besides the Obelisco, probably the most famous images that represents Buenos Aires are the painted buildings down the ally of Caminito in the barrio of La Boca. The first immigrants who settled here built their shelters out of corrugated metal and brightly colored paint left over from the shipyards from the highly polluted Riachuelo River. Today, the ally is considered an outdoor, interactive museum with recreations of such structures (this is important to note, as we spent part of the day looking for a physical building on our quest for the “museum”).
We had been told by numerous people that this was the most dangerous neighborhood in Buenos Aires, and to watch our backs and pocketbooks the whole time we were there. We expected the worst, and traveled with minimal cash and no credit cards, no flashy jewelry, etc. I had also been told that the 152 bus was an extremely easy and cheap means to get to the neighborhood and this turned out to be accurate. We caught it on Santa Fe, and literally got off at the end of the line and walked a few blocks to the right - a great way to save several pesos verses taking a cab. We walked with caution, hands on purses and wallets, until finally we came upon the infamous La Boca.....and suddenly I felt like I was at Pier 39 in San Francisco, right down to the waterfront atmosphere. This was not a dangerous neighborhood – it was a tourist trap. Every restaurant had a “greeter” who harassed you to get you to visit their venue and eat their overpriced food. If you dared look a a piece of art you became engaged in a conversation about how unique it was; ever though there were 10 more just like it next door. There were a handful of people dressed up in very traditional tango costumes who tried to solicit you to take a photo with them, although you never actually saw them dancing to validate their costumes....hmmm... We learned quickly that everyone's sales technique was to first ask you to try/see/taste/buy their goods, and if you start to walk away they ask “where are you from?” to suck you back into a dialogue. We walked around for a bit, read about the history, took several photos, and quickly departed. It was too overwhelming being attacked by salespeople. Interestingly, once a huge tour bus arrived, they all seemed to lose interest in us which made for an easier escape.
A quick side note about our departure. In our haste to leave the area, I hailed the first taxi that came along, and forgot about the rule that our first driver from the airport had told us. ALWAYS look for the company name “Radio Taxi” when hailing a cab in Buenos Aires because they are generally trustworthy and will not take you for a “ride.” Sure enough, the ONE taxi that we took that was not a Radio Taxi took a turn down a street which made no sense. Luckily I am adept with maps and directions, so as soon as he turned, I started telling Robert, “we're going the wrong way” and started pointing and getting out my map. I think the driver noticed my subtle backseat commotion because he soon turned back on to the main street within a couple of blocks. Luckily my mistake only cost me 5 pesos, but if I didn't know where we were it could have been an expensive mistake!
We had the cab take us back to San Telmo, our new favorite neighborhood, and decided to look for a venue recommended by our friend Esteban – Gibraltar. We actually had given up on finding it when we finally stumbled across it – a wonderful old bar with tons of character. The front area has leather couches and small tables, and the back has a small classic bar made of dark wood. The drinks were fairly cheap and they offered Thai food, but we opted for traditional bar snacks instead after learning our lesson with bad Tex-Mex. I would highly recommend this as a place for a happy hour, and would even make a great local hangout if you were staying in the area.
(Katherine) After having an amazing experience on a New Orleans swamp tour during his bachelor party, Robert was determined to take one additional side trip to Tigre for a delta cruise. I personally didn't think the photos that I saw in the guidebooks looked particularly inviting (more like a tour of muddy water) but I knew he was excited at the prospect of recreating his swamp adventure so we carefully plotted out our course for the day.
Although we had been quoted on tour packages, we were determined to save money and piece the trip together ourselves. With the help of our local travel expert Esteban and his lovely associate Marie-Vi, they were able to advise us on our course during our visit to their office on Monday. We set out Tuesday morning to the Ritero train station, and luckily, it's about the easiest train ride you can imagine. Four trains leave every hour, and they all run the exact same route. Even easier, the town of Tigre is the end of the line, so you don't even have to pay attention to each of the stops. Cost for this trip - $2.70 pesos round trip (about $.65)
When we arrived in Tigre, we followed Esteban's instructions to walk over the river, and were then presented with a myriad of options for cruises. We knew we were looking for a boat which had a 1:30 cruise which lasted 2 hours (the best one available) but weren't sure where to find the ticket booth. Within minutes, a friendly woman approached us and started trying to sell us on a cruise package, which ironically was the subject of our quest. She helped us to the ticket office for Catamaranes ($50 pesos for the cruise, or $45 if you have a train stub), and told us to make sure to ask to be seated at “table #5” once we got on the boat. We soon figured out upon boarding that she was actually a waitress, and she wanted to secure our business with their refreshment offerings on the boat. Very smart business woman – or just a good hustler!
The delta cruise goes in a circular pattern down a series of rivers and canals, each of which have additional canals which splinter off in different directions. Rather than hang out under the covered portion of the boat, we decided to sit on top in the open air to take in the scenery. The initial portion of the cruise took us down the mouth of River Tigre which was littered with old abandoned ships covered in rust. Apparently it costs thousands of dollars to properly dispose of a ship, so the owners of these vessels decided to drop anchor and run. Robert jokingly kept pointing to delapidated ships and saying “actually, I was trying to book THAT ship instead of this one to save money.” We also went past a rather depressing looking amusement park which appeared to be hibernating for the winter months.
Finally we moved into the River Sarmiento, which was lined with charming river homes. We were sitting on the top of the boat taking in all of the scenery and lots of photos, but the cold air whipping past us prompted us to head downstairs so we could head inside. However, once we walked down the stairs to the back of the boat, we noticed an open table on the small back deck, which was completely sheltered from the wind and had an unobstructed view of both sides of the river. Our waitress found us and we ordered wine and small sandwiches. The sun was shining and the view became more and more delightful as we motored around the canals. After shedding my jacked and kicking back in my chair with a glass of wine in my hands, I turned to Robert an said the words that every husband longs to hear: “you were right.” This trip truly was spectacular!
The biggest surprise we had on the boat was that as we turned the corner from River San Antonio to Canal Vinculacíon, we had a clear view of Buenos Aires. It would make sense that there would be a canal straight from the city, given it it a port town, but I was surprised at how close it looked from our vantage point, and how it reminded me of looking at San Francisco or even Sydney from afar.
After our relaxing cruise, we wandered around town for a few minutes to find a cafe where we could watch the latest futbol game, and then headed back into town. We had a 10:00 cocktail date with our friend Esteban at our favorite local bar, Piola, with our favorite bartender, Tito. Given we had met Esteban on our first night in town, it seemed only fitting that we spent one of our last nights with him, chatting about travel plans and Hollywood movies. We are indebted to him and Marie-Vi for all of their wonderful advise during our stay in BA - we will miss you both!
(Katherine) Our goals for today were to check out a new neighborhood, San Telmo, and to emulate one of Anthony Bordaine's experiences in Buenos Aires. We looked on his web site to see what restaurants he visited during his BA episode, and decided to start the day at La Banca, a cafe in the center of the financial district. Robert and I split up so I could run an errand, and I found him at the cafe – looking miserable. The cafe was small and crowded and 98% men, all wearing business suits and packed alongside each other while trying to drink their coffee along a tiny ledge that wove around the building. It also wrapped around 2 stations where you placed your order with the server, and then they plopped it over their wall onto your tiny piece of real estate on the ledge. Robert was less than satisfied with his order, so we decided to ditch Anthony's recommendation and head to San Telmo.
We had actually been to this neighborhood once before to meet up with our friend Nacho, but it was late at night and we didn't walk around at all. It was completely different walking around during the day. The main streets that comprise the neighborhood are cobblestone, and they are lined with various restaurants and shops. This is the oldest barrio (neighborhood) in Buenos Aires, and is known for their antique trade. There is a famous antique fair each Sunday which we meant to attend yesterday, but the rain kept us away.
We were completely taken San Telmo's charm, and walked all along the various streets before deciding to stop at San Telmo Square, which reminded me of a smaller version of Washington Square in North Beach, SF. We had a glass of wine at Plaza Dorŕego Bar which looks like it hasn't changed at all for at least 100 years. The décor is dark and all wood, with carvings along the walls and counter. We just ordered a glass of wine, and I noticed that our waiter wasn't exactly cordial. Later I read in the guidebook that they are known for “politely aloof waiters” which is the perfect description for the service.
We walked around for a few more minutes, and then got suckered into another venue called Todo Mundo which promised “continuous live tango.” It was more like a 10 minute performance once an hour by the same couple, but it was still nice to watch live dancing. After their routine, they go into the audience and chat with the crowd, and then embarrass you as they pull each of you up on stage to dance with them. Robert & I were both terrible with our new partners, but having at least once lesson under our belts helped to lessen the damage a bit. We took video footage of each other, but I'm not sure if we're going to post it!
We kept walking around some more looking for a restaurant for dinner. While looking at the menu for one establishment, a couple came up behind us and started speaking to us in Spanish. After a few blank stares back and forth, we learned that they mistook us from behind as a couple of their friends they were supposed to meet at the restaurant. It turned out that they were from Seattle, and just finishing up a trip that had taken them all over the US and South America for about the past 14 months with their car. We chatted with them for quite a while and learned several travel tips before parting ways so they could continue to look for their friends and we could decide on a restaurant.
We walked past a Tex-Mex restaurant called Aquí Me Quedo, and Robert really wanted to make another attempt at a burrito. However, this experience disappointed him far beyond our Palermo meal, to the point he wants to post a negative review on TripAdvisor.com. One of the lessons we learned from the American couple – don't order food from other regions while traveling because you will most likely disappointed. Robert is slowly coming to accept that he is not going to find a Mexican meal to his satisfaction until we get back to California – or decide to venture to Mexico!
(Katherine) Vamos Argentina! After our learning our lesson the hard way about needing to arrive early to Shoeless Joe's for futbol matches, we arrived just after 2:00 for the 3:30 Argentina verses Mexico game. We were able to get a seat right at the bar, and sat next to a lovely couple who were vacationing in BA from Brazil. It turns out they were from Rio and they confirmed that we made a wise choice with deciding to stay in Ipenema for our trip next week. We also met the two bartenders, one guy from New York and one from Madison, WI. Sounds like the owner of the bar hires Americans who come down to BA to go to school so they have a part-time gig to make money – a great way to learn Spanish and meet girls!
Luckily, this match went better than the US game – Argentina won 3-0 over Mexico. The crowd went nuts for each goal, and we tried to capture the energy on our FlipCam to document true World Cup excitement. Once the game was over and the last of our beer consumed, we decided to head to the heart of the city where the whole town has been gathering after each World Cup victory – El Obelisco de Buenos Aires. This is a modern monument which was built in Plaza de la República in 1936, and is the spot where the Argentine flag was flown for the first time. It looks very much like the Washington monument in the US.
Even walking down to the Obelisco was crazy – everyone on the street was heading the same direction, and the cars were all honking and waving flags out their windows. Everyone was smiling, and there was a general feeling of camaraderie amongst the entire crowd. It was pride in their country, in their team, and a feeling that “we won!” According to some of the locals we have met here, this country needs a boost like this – their economy has weakened, and I think there is a lot of discontent with the current government. It was wonderful to see so much national spirit.
Once we got to the Obelisco, we just stood there for a while on a ledge and looked over the crowd, taking in the aura of happiness that was floating up from the hundreds, if not thousands of people who had gathered. Young kids ran around kicking an empty Coke bottle as if it were a soccer ball. Older fans walked around with silly hats and waived huge flags. It was truly remarkable to see so many shining faces in one location where EVERYONE was in a good mood – such a rare sight to see in this day and age!
(Katherine) Go Team USA! We were extremely excited to root on our futbol team at Plaza San Martín, and hoped that we might have a decent gathering of Americans to sit with. However, our plans were foiled again by the rain because we neglected to look at the weather forecast before leaving the house. We then decided to head to Shoeless Joe's, which we should have done in the first place since it's a bar owned by an American and caters to Americans (duh.) We arrived about 20 minutes into the match and the place was completed packed with our fellow comrades. It was the first time we had seen so many Americans in one place here in BA! It was a great sight, but the lack of seating forced us to move on.
We found another bar along the Recoleta Cemetery wall called New Port Pub, and ended up watching the rest of the match with about 6 other Americans. Not quite the rowdy atmosphere of Joe's, but it was a huge screen and we had a clear view. The game didn't turn out as we had hoped though – USA lost to Ghana 0-2. We now plan to cheer on Argentina and Brazil (since we're headed there next) but if it came down to it, we would ultimately support Argentina since we have thoroughly enjoyed pretending to be Porteños!
After the game, we trudged through the rain to check out the Design Center that Robert had discovered earlier. This is a great place to play house and decide what kind of furniture and bathroom fixtures we would want in our dream home – too bad we have no home to speak of right now! We checked out the Hard Rock, and then walked back through our neighborhood to get a bite of delicious dolce de leche ice cream before heading home for dinner.
In our effort to do “old people things” (i.e. not going to a club with a bunch of 20-year olds) I had done some tango research so that we could have another experience. I learned that there are 2 different kinds of tango in BA – the show halls, which are designed for tourists, and the milongas, which are the social halls designed for people who tango for recreation. Having seen a show last weekend, I really wanted to see what it was like to be a local who tangoed for fun. We went to a milonga called Salon Canning close to Palermo, and was a huge room with tall ceilings and a large dance floor surrounded by tables and chairs. Our host seated us in the 2nd row along the side, which was perfect because I wanted to hide and blend in as much as possible. I didn't want us to look like tourists who were “crashing” or disrespecting people who take this dance so seriously, although I did sneak some photos (no flash though!)
We had learned that unless you walk in as a couple, it is expected that you are available to dance with anyone, provided that the man asks and the woman accepts. This can even be done from across the room with head gestures, and we witnessed a few partnerships using this technique. Tango is a very sultry dance – it requires you to get extremely close to your partner and dance face to face. It is also complex because the female has to put full concentration into following her partner, and the male needs to make sure he is directing her around the dance floor while avoiding the other couples. It reminded me a bit of a reverse game of bumper-cars. People also get quite dressed up since this is a rather formal gathering, and most women were were wearing the traditional T-strap tango shoes which helped to emphasize their precise dance steps.
Although we thoroughly enjoyed watching the couples, we decided that tango might not be the dance for us to learn when we return to the states. Number one, because there aren't a large number of venues where we could tango in SF, and number two, because I'm not sure we posses the grace to avoid knocking over other couples on the dance floor
(Robert) After spending three weeks confined to a 5-kilometer radius within Buenos Aires, a side trip was in order. For our vacation from our vacation, we planned to spend two days and one night in San Antonia de Areco, where, by two-hour bus ride, one can experience Gaucho country life far removed from the blaring horns of Buenos Aires. San Antonio is best known for being at the epicenter of the Gaucho tradition. As skilled cattle ranchers with a reputation for living in solitude, Gauchos are Argentina's answer to the American cowboy. Our plans included first hand experience of the Gaucho tradition at an estancia (ranch) located just outside of downtown San Antonio.
The day prior to our departure, we decided to perform transportation recon since this would be our first use of Argentina's massively popular bus transit system. It turned out to be a good decision since we were quickly overwhelmed by the immensity of the bus station. Part train station, part bus station, Retiro Estacion, can easily take 20 minutes to cross by foot. There are hundreds of shops, cafes and food stands to choose from, as you wander down one of its three sprawling levels. There are two bus services that cover the route between Buenos Aires and San Antonio - Chevallier and Pullman. A round trip ticket is approximately 50 pesos. After about 30 minutes of searching, we located the Chevallier booth, fulfilling our primary goal for the recon.
The following afternoon we missed the Chevallier bus by a few minutes but were kindly informed that Pullman could immediately take us for roughly the same cost. While the bus had clearly seen better years, the seats in the semi-cama cabin were soft leather and allowed me to fully extend my feet - no small feat (no pun-intended) for 6' 2” guy. When the bus pulled into what we could only guess was the San Antonio station we looked around for any landmark that could indicate we got off at the right stop. From our vantage point the bus stop could have been located in any city. There were no street signs as far as the eye could see. I approached the bus driver and pointed to a map of San Antonio de Areco in our guide book and in piss-poor Spanish asked where we were. A passenger approached me and confirmed in English that we were in San Antonio and helped us to determine the general direction to our hotel.
As we turned the corner from the bus station we entered a modest neighborhood that, while appearing relatively safe, looked nothing like the charming country town that we read about in our guide book. I could see the disappointment in Katherine's eyes as we made our way towards the town square. For a moment I wondered if I blew it – taking us two hours outside of BA to hang out in a desolate dust bowl. A few blocks later we shared relief as we could see the town square whose small-town appeal became evident even from a quarter-mile away. Without much difficulty we found our hotel, Paradores Draghi, a bed & breakfast that had received rave reviews on Trip Advisor. At first we found the hotel to be deserted, until a man by the name of Mariano greeted us from the hotel's silversmith workshop (I'll get to that later) and kindly showed us to our room. With a level of trust that would have been unheard of in BA, Mariano asked us if we had a reservation and then handed us the key. We found the room to be extremely charming and surprisingly large. After dropping off our bags we set out to explore downtown.
As we began our leisurely stroll down the street, the first thing I noticed was how crisp and clean the air smelled. I inhaled deeply, enjoying the absence of diesel exhaust. The second thing I noticed was a feeling of safety absent from much of Buenos Aires. All around us children were playing in the park and riding bicycles. It was clear that we were in a small-town that continued to retain its small-town ideals. The fact that for the first time since we had arrived in BA, cars drivers patiently waited as we crossed the street before them, made this evidently clear. Countless times I've observed Porténo drivers impetuously honk their horn as an elderly woman cross the street - on a green light no less!
As we stopped to sit at a park bench, an adorable black and white dog approached us. We pet the dog as we observed a school teacher leading a class of young school kids on a tour of the town square. As we got up from the bench the dog ran across the street and stood before a pleasant-seaming cafe. Was this dog trying to tell us something? We ignored the dog's suggestion and continued on our walk, searching for a cafe to rest our feet. The dog continued to follow us, one block after the next. As we eventually made our way back to the dog's favorite cafe, El Tocio, we realized that he had exceptionally good taste. With open arty décor, Wi-Fi, delicious Argentine food, great coffee and a respectable HD LCD TV set, El Tocio is, without-a-doubt, the best cafe in town. Once inside we enjoyed a bottle of Malbec as we watched a World Cup match.
With just an hour or so of sunlight remaining we left the comfort of our cafe to check out a park just four blocks from the town center that, according to our map, ran along a “rio.” As we entered the park we appreciated why the recreational site is an extremely popular tourist destination in the summer. On one side cafes line the street, while the outer edge is boarded by an extremely charming stream that is accompanied by a handful of bridges. Along the stream a semi-paved walkway provides easy access to stroller-pushing parents and joggers. After soaking in the soothing scenery we made our way back to the hotel to explore its esteemed silver museum.
The Paradores Draghi is, first and foremost, a family-operated silversmith craft house. The bed and breakfast, according to Mariano, is owned and operated by his mother. A lady named, Maria, provided an intimate and personal tour of the workshop and the adjoining museum. The tour covered the history of Gauchos, their reliance upon various tools and ornamental silver, and even the family's silversmithing techniques. The crafts shop is considered is among the finest in the country if not the world. Their customers include aristocracy and even US presidents Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush. Fortunately some of their jewelry was available at more modest prices. For a very reasonable price, Katherine purchased a beautiful silver necklace with a coral stone centerpiece. After the tour Maria kindly made a reservation at the Gaucho estancia and ordered a ride to take us there in the morning.
For dinner we once again walked the downtown perimeter until we settled on Almacén de Ramos Generales, a quaint parillia located just a block off the town square. We found our dinner to be not only delicious but more affordable than what we usually encounter in BA. After dinner we made our way to La Esqina de Merti, where we followed through on a tip from the Paradores staff that the bar and restaurant would be hosting live music and tango dancing. When we entered the bar, the proverbial record come screeching to a halt as the locals laid their eyes upon the gringo couple. We made our way to a table in the rear from where we could comfortably watch the tango band perform. The band members were almost certainly teenagers and while the keyboardist and guitarist played their instruments somewhat clumsily, the lead singer demonstrated a surprisingly strong voice and a commanding presence. A half dozen or so locals would get up from their tables to dance to their favorite tango tunes. Katherine and I deliberated the sexual orientation of the tango singer as we finished our respective glass of wine and bottle of Stella. After an hour or so, we made our way back to the B&B and called it a night.
The following morning we rushed to pack as we had a taxi on its way to take us to El Ombó de Areco, a historical estancia that continues to honor Gaucho traditions by offering tourists the opportunity to partake in a variety of Gaucho related activities including horseback riding, ranch chores and a classic asado (BBQ) lunch. When we arrived at the ranch we were greeted by small gang of friendly dogs. An elderly lady who spoke only Spanish hastily provided a tour of the grounds which included a lounge room with TV and pool table, elegant dining room and an finally an outside patio where we accepted an offer for fresh empanadas and a glass of red wine. The ranch and its surroundings are truly splendid. The buildings are well preserved and maintained considering they were built in 1880. The landscape closely resembles the flat plains of the American Midwest. After scarfing down perhaps the most delicious empanadas we will ever encounter in Argentina, we snuck back into the lounge to watch the last few minutes of a World Cup match. After the match we joined a group of new arrivals for horseback riding.
It had been many years since Katherine and I last rode horseback. Once saddled up we slowly made our way down a dirt road, passing an occasional cow. The weather had the feeling of late-November in Northern California - that time when the trees have lost most of their leaves and the air is fresh and crisp without at all feeling uncomfortable. The slow pace of the ride was a stark and much needed contrast from the frantic energy of Buenos Aires.
Upon our return to the ranch we were seated at the patio for the much anticipated Gaucho asado meal, accompanied by a musical performance by one of the ranch's gauchos. Another round of wine was served, soon followed by healthy portions of sausage, blood sausage, skirt steak, rib-eye and chicken. Dolce de leche ice cream and coffee followed as dessert. As we drank coffee we were given a "surprise" performance by the younger of the two Gauchos of an Indian-style horse breaking. This method of breaking is completely non-violent and involves coaxing the horse into a submissive position on its back. Anyone who knows anything about horses would know that it is nearly impossible to get a horse to agree to do such a thing. Once on its back, the Guacho invited guests to lay alongside the horse. Rather than go into any more description of this awe-inspiring talent, I posted a YouTube video below that captured the entire performance (see below).
After the Gaucho's demonstration we accepted an offer to go out for one last horseback ride, this time at a trot and gallop. It had been nearly seven years since I had galloped. Katherine had never galloped before and nearly fell off the horse had not one of the Gaucho guides come to her aid and help her back onto her saddle. We agreed to split apart for the remainder of the ride so that she could continue at a slower pace with while me and a guy from Georgia head down the trail at a faster pace. Completely out of practice, I had to strain to keep up, leaving me sore for the next couple of days. By the time we returned, our cab driver was waiting for us and we said our farewells.
Back at the B&B we grabbed our backpacks and made our way back to El Tocio to watch yet another exciting World Cup match. When it was time to head to the bus station we were, yet again, greeted by the black and white dog who insisted on accompanying us.
We estimated half a mile to the bus station. A few blocks into the trek, it had become dark and we found ourselves somewhat directionally-challenged. Katherine plotted a short cut through an open field that appeared to provide a straight line to the highway along which the bus station resides. Without streetlamps or another soul in sight, I was on high alert for trouble. Even in a relatively safe neighborhood this was a prime location for something to go awry. Our canine companion provided comfort as we made our way across the field. Could this have been our animal spirit guide? I figured if he could find the best cafe in town then perhaps he could help us to be bus station as well. Katherine's short-cut proved to be successful. The dog sat patiently at the curb as we made our way onto the bus.
(Katherine) Today I spent most of the day redesigning our blog, but Robert ventured out to walk around Recoleta and check out the Design Center. Later that night, we headed out to meet up with our friend Nacho, whom we had met at The Basement a couple weekends ago. He suggested a place called La Poesía in San Telmo, which turned out to be a lovely rustic restaurant with years of character engrained in all of their exposed brick, and dusty decorations. As per Nacho's recommendation, we ordered a plate of the most delicious snacking spread I have ever seen – various cheeses, assorted cured meats, olives, and a small warm loaf of bread. Perfect with a glass of red wine!
An older fellow sitting behind us heard us speaking English and struck up a conversation. It turns out that he is a NY native, but has lived in BA for about 32 years and now considers himself a Porteño. We invited him to join us, and it was interesting to learn his perspective on life in BA. He indicated that when he first moved here in 1977, the US dollar and Argentine peso were 1:1; that is certainly not the case now. He is concerned about their economic state and not happy with the current government. It was interesting to hear his perspective as an American living here – and apparently, there are thousands of Americans living here. I don't know where they hang out though; we've hardly seen any!
(Katherine) Today we woke up early (for us!) to take the 11:00 free tour in English of the Recoleta Cemetery. However, apparently the web on the info for incorrect and the tours are on Mondays (and Thursdays) instead of Tuesdays. Luckily, a tour group from Atlanta had made the same mistake, and a local woman had volunteered to take them around so we were able to tag along. We saw Evita Peron's tomb again, and learned the stories of 2 other tombs.
One is the tale of a Rufina Cambaceres, The Girl Who Died Twice. She was thought dead after suffering a cataleptic attack, and was entombed on her 19th birthday. She awoke inside her casket and crawled her way to the top, but she suffered a heart attack before she could be rescued – the scratches on her face told the story of her anguish. An inventor named Alfredo Gath heard of the story, and build a coffin with a mechanical opening device and an alarm (this is also where the term “saved by the bell” was derived). He successfully tested the coffin 12 times, but on the 13th try it failed and he died inside.
The other tale (not in the guidebooks) was of a young girl who died on her honeymoon. The couple was staying in a winter resort when an avalanche tore through the window of their room and she was killed instantly. Coincidentally, her husband survived because he was laying down in bed – she was standing up. When the family laid her to rest, they created a tomb with a statue of her likeness in her wedding gown, and standing by the family dog she had known since childhood. It is a fascinating statue that looks a bit like the female lead character, Sally, from The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Our next plan was to head back to Plaza San Martín to watch the Argentina game. We arrived about 30 minutes before the start, which wasn't NEARLY enough time to get a seat on the lawn. There were probably already at least a few thousand people there, and as we watched, hundreds kept pouring into the plaza. We secured a place along the side of the stairs, but everyone was standing (including us) and it was impossible to see the screen. At half-time, we decided to return to the comfort of home so we could actually watch the game. It was still quite entertaining because each time Argentina scored a goal, all of our neighbors went out on their balcony and cheered. The kids across the street threw confetti up into the air while they screamed at the top of their lungs – very cute.
Later that evening, we decided to go to our favorite local pizzeria, Piola, in the hopes of seeing our friend Esteban. He wasn't there, but we got a chance to chat with our bartender, Tito, and watch the MTV Unplugged Nirvana concert on DVD. We have really enjoyed being taken down memory lane with the old American music that BA tends to play at their venues!
After watching several futbol matches today, we made our way to Plaza San Martin for the 5:00 Buenos Aires Free Walking Tour. This company was started by a fellow who went to Germany and went on a similar tour, and decided to bring the concept to BA so passionate Porteños can show off their city (they just work on tips). Our guide was Macarena, a 23-year old native, and yes – she said she was tortured by the song “Macarena” in her youth.
We went on a 2-hour walking tour of Retiro & Recoleta where she gave the “real story” behind the area's sights and architecture. She first explained the importance of General Martín, the one person (besides Maradona) that every Argentinean loves. He won a huge battle which secured Argentina's freedom from Spain by using a sneak attack from the northern part of the country, and is considered one of the Liberators of Spanish South America. You frequently see his name all around BA.
Macarena then told the story behind 2 castles which are located right across the plaza from either other. The lady who lived in one had 17 kids, but only 3 boys. The oldest & the successor did not get along with his Mom, and she threatened to cut him out of the fortune. Drunk one night, he stumbled across the plaza to the other castle and courted the daughter who lived there and then married her so he could live off her fortune.
We also learned her version of the story behind one of the tallest buildings in BA. According to the guidebooks, it is supposed to look like a ship. However, Macarena told us the story of 2 rival society women from the early 1900's. One wanted to make sure that all of the other society people would be able to see her final resting place, so she purchased land next to Plaza San Martin and built a 4-story church. Years later, the other woman got back at her by taking advantage of the fact her family owned the land next to the church, and built the tallest building in BA – completely blocking the view of the church. Hence, if you look at your hand and you look at the building, you can see what message one woman was sending to the other through it's design (see above photo for further clarification). It is also interesting to note that there are 33 floors in the building and there are 33 elevators – a separate one for each floor.
We also looked at other buildings where all of the materials used were direct from Paris. We learned that as ships went over to Europe to deliver cattle, the Europeans started to think of things they could use to fill up the empty ships on their return. People decided to send over materials which would allow them to literally build entire structures in BA with Parisian style and remind them of home. Hence why there is such a heavy European influence in the look of the city.
One story I liked in particular had a very “Golden Rule” premise. A wealthy BA man saw a lovely palace in Paris and decided he wanted to duplicate it back home on Arroyo Avenue. He commissioned an architect to recreate the palace, then went back to Europe. He came back to BA to check on the work and thought it looked nothing like the Paris palace, so he took the architect out onto the street and publicly shamed him and announced he was hiring another architect to finish the work. Ironically, 3 days later the wealthy man became very sick, and ended up going blind. So even when the palace was finally completed by the new architect, the owner was never able to see his Parisian-style palace.
Macarena also indicated that the mix of Italian, French and Spanish decent has caused Porteños to have a rather pretentious attitude to anyone who isn't from here (her words, not mine!). Apparently, everyone is quite obsessed with their looks (they ARE very stylish) and instead of an obesity problem like the US, this city has a problem with anorexia. Also, BA is apparently the world leader in plastic surgery. I think she said about 100 sets of boobs are done every day. Specifically, Recoleta is the capital of plastic surgery, and there is a very distinct look to the women who have had their nose or necks done. As we crossed the line from Ritero to Recoleta she said, “we are going on a safari, and instead of referring to these woman as 'cougars', let's call them 'lions' and I will call them out.”
Sure enough, as we walked down Alvear Ave.(the Rodeo Drive of BA) Macarena loudly announced “LION!” as we walked by several very obvious examples. I don't think these woman knew what we were talking about, but I still felt a bit guilty (even though it was damn funny, and accurate!). One final interesting tid-bit. She pointed out that on the same corner, there is the most expensive hotel in town, a Cartier store, and a mysterious building above with black windows. Ladies, just know that if your man ever goes to BA and stays at the Alvear Palace Hotel and brings home a piece from Cartier, he might just be making up for the guilt he feels for visiting the most expensive strip club in the city – located right above the store!
After the tour, we went to have a beer at the brewery that Macarena recommended, and found another couple from the tour – Bec and Michael. They are from Australia and similar to us, they are traveling the world for 8 months. They have already been to Japan and the US, and now we are following a fairly similar travel pattern. After enjoying beers with them at Buller, they invited us to join them at a restaurant that is regarded as one of the best steakhouses in BA. La Cabrera specializes in offering several different toppings and sauces for your steak – one order is more than enough for 2 people. We really enjoyed talking to other travelers (our first couple-friends!) and hope that our paths will cross again on our journeys.
(Katherine) Today marked our first tango experience in BA! After receiving a recommendation for a tango dance hall called Complejo Tango, I made a reservation which included transportation to the venue, a 1-hour group dance lesson (thank you Elaine for the Honeyfund gift!), an appetizer, wine, and a 1.5 hour dance performance.
We started first with the dance lesson, and upon going around the room and introducing ourselves, we learned that there were only a handful of Americans, mostly Brazilians and Australians. They started by showing us the first basic tango 8-count, and then divided men and women to practice. Once Robert and I got to practice together, we were surprised to find we could actually do all of the steps! The second 8-count wasn't quite as successful – I would say that in the end, we mastered 14 of the 16 steps they taught us. Regardless, we were presented with a certificate at the end of class which said we had “graduated.” I think that might be a bit of a stretch, but it was a cute gesture.
We then gathered in the dining hall which included a small stage in the center. We had an opportunity to eat and drink wine, and then the show began at 10:00. A live band began to play from a balcony from above, and the dancers came out on stage. We figured out that they were taking us through the history of tango – the first section was comprised of dance style and costumes from the 1900's, the second was the 1940's, and finally they ended with the tango from today. There were also a couple of singers too who guided us through the story, although it was difficult to follow since everything was sung in Spanish. However, I think the overall message was about expressing love through tango.
We were sitting right next to the stage which made it very difficult for me to take video footage, but click on the link above to check out one of my favorite acts. This was our female dance instructor demonstrating tango from the 2000's. In one word – amazing!
(Katherine) Today's mission was to find a chicken burrito for Robert. He is a HUGE fan of Mexican food, so he did his research to find a Tex-Mex restaurant in Palermo called Xalapa. While the guacamole was excellent, the rest of our meal definitely couldn't compare to the amazing Mexican dishes we have enjoyed in the Mission district of SF. We determined that an Argentine version of “Tex-Mex” is extremely bland, and required healthy portions of Picante sauce for Robert to get his dish to his “caliente” standards.
We left the Palermo Soho (shopping district) and walked several blocks around Palermo Hollywood (bar & restaurant district) in search of a fun bar for a cocktail. FYI - the Palermo Hollywood district got it's name because tons of American companies come down to BA to shoot commercials and movies because labor is so much cheaper down here. The area is also booming with venues for both food and drinks, so we had a difficult time selecting a bar. Upon walking up to one establishment, we were greeted at the door by the hosted with a complimentary glass of wine to tide us over until she could find us a table – a great marketing plan. We actually ended up heading upstairs to hang out in the lounge section of their patio, and within a few minutes we were joined by a group of 3 younger kids. We heard them speaking English, and it turns out they were in school at Pepperdine in LA and studying Spanish in BA for the summer. It was really nice to talk to other Americans, even if they were about 15 years younger than us. We gave them some advise about college and the transition to the working world – probably TOO much advise, because I think I might have started to sound like a Mom at times. Oh well, maybe those young whipper-snappers might have learned something from us old-fogies!
One thing we learned from them was that a club down the street was supposed to be pretty fun, Kika. We weren't planning on having a big night out, but since we probably wouldn't hit any more clubs in Palermo during our visit we decided to check it out. After standing outside the ropes for a few minutes, one of the promoters approached us and offered to let me in for free & just pay for Robert (a $30 peso savings.) He also gave us wristbands for the VIP area, although we learned upon entry that they were only good for the “American” VIP section. Basically, there are 2 rooms, and one was playing pachanga style, and the other was American Top 40ish house music. We actually wanted to listen to the local music, but the room became so crowded that we finally decided to take a seat in our VIP section.
We also had a couple of revelations that evening. When we were talking to the Pepperdine kids, we were discussing how people in BA are able to stay out all night. They said that people don't really drink that much at the bars, so they don't get drunk or tired. In fact, they said there are no laws against public drunkenness because it's a non-issue. This would explain why we can always get a drink at the bar of these clubs – they are never crowded, unlike American clubs. We also noticed that one again, most everyone at the venue was under the age of 25. Upon our return home around 6am, Robert looked at me and said, “I think it's time to start doing old-people stuff.” Agreed!
(Katherine) The first thing we tried to do on our major outing for Friday was to find a sushi place that Robert had read about called Osaka in Palermo. We are HUGE sushi fans in SF, and this is supposed to be one of the best in BA. We arrived around 10:10, and were told we would have a 20 minute wait, so we walked around Palermo to kill time. Upon our 20 minute return, we were seated quite promptly, but once we opened the menu we began to panic.
Our guidebook had only indicated $$$ for this restaurant, but it should have been more like $$$$+. Robert was REALLY hungry, and there is no way we could have ordered enough sushi for the two of us without spending several hundred pesos (again, we're stretching our budget over 9 months. As embarrassing as it was, we pretended that we had to be somewhere & pointed at our wristwatches and left the restaurant. In summary, it was lovely décor and probably delicious, but it was crowded, and the extremely slow service allowed us to escape.
During our earlier trip around Palermo to kill time, we noticed another sushi placed called Itamae Sushi, and once we left Osaka with our poor heads dipped in shame, we returned to this restaurant. The host who greeted us was incredibly kind and also spoke English. He was fascinated with our story of our honeymoon, and completely befriended us while we were there. Our waitress was also super cool, and the sushi was great quality. Although the nigiri was rather thinly sliced, the rolls were very generous. We would definitely like to go back!
We had done our research about a huge chain of a nightclubs called Crobar, and determined the location and approximate time we should arrive. I had been to the Crobar clubs in NY, Chicago and Miami years ago and I remembered them being fun, but I was in my 20's and my musical style was a bit different out of college.
We arrived around 1:40, knowing we were early, but figured we would just see an opening DJ. We were greeted with a request for $100 pesos (more than we have ever paid anywhere else) and upon entry, we found that there was a band playing very random American music in a funk style. They were very good, we will credit them that, but it was extremely similar to watching a wedding band. Again, not a mad musical experience, but nothing like the international DJ experience we were expecting. Finally, the band wrapped and the DJ came on the decks - but his playlist only included Top 40 American music with a bit of a remix. The music + the super young, "Jersey Shore" crowd was enough to make us get back in a cab and run.
Succeed: We ended up returning to The Basement in our neighborhood, just under the Shamrock Bar, and we were SO happy with that decision. Once again, the music was amazing – an extremely well blended mix of house music on a great sound system. We thought we had just made it in time for the second act, but being the "late-night" nation that this is, it was only the first, and we barely made it through most of the second act. We left around maybe 5:30-6:00am and the headliner still wasn't on yet – ugh, we still do not know how these people do it! We are determined to make sunrise ONE day on our journey, but probably no more!
Our mission for today was to watch two futbol matches with some die-hard fans, although we only accomplished half of our goal. We thought the Argentina match was at 11am, but we were woken up at 8:30am by our rowdy neighbors – apparently that was kick-off time. Instead of heading to Plaza San Martín, we decided to enjoy the game from the comfort of our bed, which was actually still quite entertaining because we could hear EVERYONE on our block cheering for their team.
The match was incredibly exciting, and it was great to see hometown hero and newly appointed Argentina coach, Diego Maradona, lead his team to a 4-1 win over South Korea. Each time the team scored a goal, our neighbors came out on their balcony and tooted their horns and screamed with delight. We are definitely planning to make Tuesday's match in Plaza San Martín with several hundred fans – that will be a sight!
We later made our way down to a pub called Shoeless Joe's, which is very much of a beer-drinking, frat-party kind of a bar (ah...reminded me of IU!) which is known for airing all futbol matches. We went to the airing of the France/Mexico game, and the small venue was PACKED with fans. We scurried in to find a table quickly, and luckily we ended up with all of the French fans, the team we planned to support since Paris is one of our next destinations. We were the oldest people in the bar by about 10 years, but I think we disguised our age pretty well, and even befriended a young Frenchman next to us. It turns out he's in school at BA, and hopes to go to NY once he graduates.
There was an extremely vocal rivalry between the 2 sides of the bar, which involved a lot of jeering and gestures back and forth. There were also many songs that were sung, including the French national anthem. Unfortunately, things didn't pan out so well for them – Mexico scored 2 goals while France scored zero. The Mexican fans went nuts over each goal and made sure to throw their victory in the French fans face. At the end of the game, our new friend leaned over and said (in a heavy French accent,) “pardon me, but do you know of a good way to suicide myself?”
Despite all the rivalry, after the game, we noticed that both sides soon began mingling and drinking together. The French lads next to us were hitting on Mexican ladies, and their Parisian female friend started doing shots with a table of Mexican men. We even ended up meeting of of the Mexican fans who chatted with us old-timers for a while (he was 25) and gave some great advise about BA and trips to Uruguay. Later, we noticed our French friend wearing our new Mexican friend's cowboy hat, and doing shots of tequila with the Mexican guy's female friends.
In the end, we determined that “drunk and horny 20-something-year-oldness” supersedes any kind of team loyalty.
(Katherine) Today we made it our mission to make it to a new part of town that we failed to see yesterday – Puerto Madero, which is a former dockside area of the city which has undergone a major renovation. Many of the old warehouses have been converted into bars and restaurants, and huge skyscrapers have been erected which contain both offices and apartments. Yesterday we got too frustrated on foot to continue the journey, but today we were determined....
We set out on the Subte system and took 2 different lines to the Playa de Mayo, which let us out right by the Casa Rosada, Argentina's version of our White House. The original house was built in 1713 and then rebuilt in it's current majestic format in 1898, and contains Argentina's presidential offices. This is also the site where Eva Perón addressed crowds of porteños years ago, and is one of the most photographed building in the entire city. Luckily, we were also able to witness about 10 guards who came out dressed in full milatary attire and performed a formal removal of the national flag at sunset – I would liken the experience to the changing of the guard in London.
We walked round Avenue de Mayo, which was purposefully designed very similar to a Parisian boulevard – I would say they succeeded, as there is definitely a European feel to the entire area. After a big of confusion over which direction to go, we finally followed a crowd of people which lead us to Puerto Madero. I would equate this area to South Beach or Mission Bay in SF – everything is extremely new and modern, with just a hint it's the former dockside past. We had a couple of beers for happy hour at a well pointed restaurant called Tres Quarts with Asian-inspired décor. We then set out to find the Faena Hotel + Universe, which is a 5-star hotel known created by Argentine fashion impresario Alan Fena and French architect Philippe Starck. A long, tall hallway greets you at the entrance, with side rooms that lead you to a series of restaurants, lounges and a pool. We weren't planning to dine at a 5-star restaurant that night, but hey – we're on our honeymoon, and we decided “what the heck” and walked into El Mercado.
I'm so glad we committed to this establishment, because it actually tops the meal I blogged about earlier this week! We both enjoyed steak again (of course) although mine was more of a tender pot roast dish with a ridiculously delicious marinade. We again enjoyed a bottle of wine, El Malbec de Richard Santos 2008 by Las Madres Vinyards from Mendoza. Upon mentioning that we were honeymooners, our waiter presented us with 2 glasses of champagne at the end of the meal. While it was a bit out of budget, this truly was a honeymoon dinner to remember!
(Robert) Today I woke up very excited for the Brazil vs. North Korea game. I have completely mixed feelings about this match. On the one hand I should be rooting for Brazil since we'll be in Rio de Janeiro for the final week of World Cup. If Brazil was to win the World Cup while we are in Rio, we'd be in for the party of a lifetime.
On the other hand I'm extremely empathetic for underdogs – even underdogs ruled by a ruthless dictator. It's not the North Korean teammates' fault that they were born on the wrong side of the boarder and forced to remain there until they die. Isolated from the rest of the world, they haven't had the opportunity to gain much needed experience by going toe to toe against the world's best. Even the sports commentators had almost nothing to say about the the team due to a shroud of secrecy imposed by their dictator leading up to the match.
All I can imagine is that the North Koreans must have been terrified to play one of the consistently strongest teams in the world on their World Cup debut. To make matters worse the North Koreans could very well face torture or even death at home should they “disgrace” their homeland in the eyes of their leader.
The question at hand is - what is more important, the ultimate party in Rio or the mortality of the North Korean team? Katherine and I decided to compromise at 2-1 Brazil. This way we have the best shot at a great party while the poor North Koreans get to retain some dignity and hopefully their lives.
After watching the first half of the game at home, we made our way down our street to the Buenos Aires Mundial installation in Plaza San Martin to catch the remainder of the game. A boisterous group of Brazilian supporters made good use of their noise makers as Brazil scored once then a second time. I managed to contain my sense of bathroom humor when the announcers would mention that Kaká has the ball. Leite Ricardo Izecson dos Santos is commonly known by his nickname, Kaká, and is one of the stronger players on the Brazilian national team. I imagine if I was to as much as chuckle over his name in Rio my throat could be cut. Just as people began to vacate the premises in the final minutes, North Korea scored a goal to everyone's dismay!
When the game ended, as we had hoped, at 2-1 Brazil, we headed to a giant soccer ball located just off the lawn and snagged a self-portrait. It was another great day of futbol in Buenos Aires.
(Katherine) I needed to update today's blog because we finally had the meal we've been waiting for in BA! We've both been holding back on ordering a huge steak dinner, but tonight we went to a place that was recommended by our apartment owner, Mariano, which is called Juana M. It is a wonderful place located close by in the downstairs of a pristine white building off one of the major streets, where they are knows not only for steak, but their salad bar. We have been vegetable deprived since we got here, so we both had 2 heapings of salad before they brought out our meals – we each ordered the Oho de Bife, which translates to 400 grams of rib-eye steak. We also ordered a bottle of Dona Paula, the brand we purchased a Grand Cru, although the bottle on the menu was much more affordable than the one in the shop.
We both savored our dishes to the point where we each left about half a serving to be wrapped up & enjoyed later. I even took it so far as to get another dish from the salad bar & load it up and shove the food into our take-away dish. My Great Aunt Irene from Wisconsin would have be so proud – she was notorious for bringing Tupperware to dinner and packing up every edible item from the table. Growing up in the Great Depression, she learned to scavenge all available food items while dining out and I picked up on that trait. Although it takes a few minutes to sneak food into bags or boxes, now we have a whole other meal for tomorrow!
We decided to top off the evening with a serving of Dolce de Leche ice cream. All I can say is Oh......My......God....... this was literally the best ice cream I've ever had in my life. I'm normally a chocolate conosur, but this was ridiculous. BA is known for their Dolce de Leche, but this is the first time we've both had it here. Let's just say we might have started a new late night tradition.....
(Katherine) Today marked the earliest we have ever risen, as we had appointment with the Brazilian consulate at 10am to get my visa for entry into Brazil. They do NOT make it easy for Americans. Once at the office, I had to get on a computer and complete a huge form, then talk to someone at a window where I had to present flight information to prove my trip, bank statements (luckily I had a credit card statement) and all of our current local contact information. I also had to give them a passport photo, which luckily I had already taken in SF in case I lost my passport on the trip. Then, they took my passport, gave me a slip of paper, and sent me down to a bank four blocks away where I had to pay $589.25 pesos (about $147.) However, Robert doesn't have to worry about any of this run-around because he has a British passport (his father was born in England.) Robert didn't have to pay the $131 to enter Argentina either. Hmmmm, they certainly don't make it easy for us Americans, but then again, I guess we don't make it easy for foreign tourists either!
After the visa fiasco we went back to our friend Esteban to discuss decisions for our Mendoza & Iguassu Falls trips. We made the executive decision to book the airline tickets to & from Iguassu, but to hold on Mendoza because it is supposed to rain all week this week. If it looks like next week will be sunny, we will book the trip later this week. Luckily Esteban is only a few blocks away so it is easy to drop in and visit him!
We then decided to brave the rain and take a bus to the MALBA, which is a modern art museum. It's actually a very small museum, but it had a particularly great photography exhibit by Robert Mapplethorpe, a controversial artist from NY who's work spans the 70's and 80's (he passed away in 1989 at the age of 42.) It was a fascinating collection of celebrity portraits, flowers, and the human figure. We weren't supposed to take photos, but I snapped this image of Andy Warhol. We finished the exhibits and sat down at a cafe for a bite. We noticed exorbitant prices and started scaling back our plan for ordering when the fire alarm went of – saved by the bell!
We exited the cafe and went back to the bus stop to pick up the 67 line. It seemed logical that if we got on a bus line, eventually it would have to take up to the place where we picked it up. However, we didn't realize how LONG the bus line was going to be – we literally went all the way to the end, and had to get back on another bus to keep going. We weren't even on the map anymore, so I have no idea where we ended up today! This could have been a scary predicament, but everyone on the bus seemed fine, and one gentleman even tried to help me understand where we were on my map once we finally started heading back into the city a bit further. Let's just say that we might be doing a little more research before we get back on any buses. Oh well – it was pouring rain anyway, and we got a tour of the city for $5.90 pesos!
We are now enjoying an evening at home and gearing up for a meal out around 9:30, which is still early for many restaurants. I swear, this place could turn us into vampires if we're not careful – and how fitting since True Blood is just coming back on the air!
(Katherine) Knowing that we had a big day planned for Saturday, we decided to have a mellow evening on Friday and went to a bar in our neighborhood called Milión. This is a converted 3-story mansion from 1913 which very much maintained the look and feel of the original house. The cocktails were all very pricey, but we were able to enjoy a bottle of rosé for a very reasonable price. This is also one of the few venues where people were dressed up and girls wearing short skirts and tank tops. In general, women seem to dress a bit more conservative down here, so you don't see an abundance of skin.
Saturday morning we work up early (for us) and packed up a picnic lunch with cocktails and started to walk out the door to Plaza San Martín to watch the Argentina soccer game. However, we opened the door and saw it was pouring rain, so we headed back upstairs to watch the match. Later that afternoon, we headed to Loco X Futbol for our US/England match reservation. The bar was actually quite dead, and there only appeared to be one other table of Americans. We really enjoyed the game though, and were pretty impressed with the US goalie, Tim Howard – we also learned his name because a fan behind us kept shouting “let's go Timmy!”
After the game we headed home for a siesta and woke up at midnight to make dinner and prep for another visit to The Basement (Irish pub with a club downstairs.) We arrived around 3:15am which apparently is the start of prime time at the club. We quickly met a fellow named Nacho who was from BA and his friend who was from Holland. They were very cool and we exchanged information in the hopes to hang out again. Generally speaking, we haven't really met many people here other than making chit-chat with the service people we encounter. We're hoping to visit a couple of “American” bars this week to see if there are any other US travelers down here, because we certainly haven't met any yet!
And by the way, although we were able to put ourselves on a Porteño schedule on Saturday, the late night out pretty much wiped us out for Sunday – we don't know how these people do it!
(Robert) This morning we had a meeting with our first Porteno friend, Esteban, who in addition to being a regular at our favorite local bar, Piola, is also a great travel agent. Esteban did a admirable job at helping us navigate potential paths through Mendoza, Iguazu and, ultimately, onto our final South American destination - Rio. Now all we have to do is decide upon how much money we are willing to spend. It's easy to fall into a trap of thinking "we're on our honeymoon, to hell with the cost," while failing to take into account that we're traveling for the better part of a year. Since neither of us had any luck with the lotto, we have to seriously hunker down.
Shortly after our meeting we decided to leave our decisions back at the apartment and head down to Plaza San Martin, where Esteban mentioned the World Cup games are on display for the public. To get to the square, all we had to do is continue down our street, Juncal. Cordoned off by fences and security the screening area must encompass at least a couple acres of lawn. We arrived just in time to catch the final 15 minutes of the France vs. Uruguay match on a mega high-definition LCD screen sponsored by DIRECTV and Hyundai. Since Uruguay is a close neighbor of Argentina, I tried my best to conceal to my enthusiasm for France who was clearly on the offensive. The match ultimately ended as a tie and the crowd vacated immediately upon its conclusion. I can't begin to imagine how amped this crowd will be during their home team's match against Nigeria tomorrow. Returning to Plaza San Martin for tomorrow's match is one decision that is easy to make.
(Katherine) Today we decided to continue exploring our neighborhood and took off on foot towards the parks. We first came across a modern art museum, the Palais de Glace, which we were able to wander through for free (score!) We kept walking and discovered a University which we think is the Law School for BA University. We snuck in and wandered around for a bit and pretended to be students. The classrooms all looked pretty small and a little run down. The ages of the people in the building seemed to vary from 20-40, so we didn't stand out too much as we walked the halls.
Outside the school we made a wonderful discover – the Floralis Generica. The overall look of the gigantic piece reminded me of The Bean in Chicago. It is located in the Plaza Naciones Unidas, and was built in 2002 by Argentinian architect Eduardo Catalano as a gift to the city. Apparently, the petals of the flower open every morning at 8am to reveal it's metal pistons, and then close up again each night at sunset. We will definitely plan to head back for a sunset closing.
We then made our way through the Plaza Mitre area (the Nob Hill of BA!) to a sports bar called Loco X Futbol (Crazy for Soccer.) We wanted to do some recon for Saturday, when both Argentina and the US play in World Cup games (we play against England.) After a very challenging conversation, I was able to reserve us tables for the US game, and we're planning to watch the Argentina game from a plaza.
We gathered more groceries, picked up our laundry, and decided to catch the tail end of happy hour at a bar around the corner called Grand Bar Danzón, which is described in the tour books as the place where the Sex and the City gals would hang out in BA. They were right – the place is gorgeous, upscale, and it was PACKED. It reminded me a lot of the Matrix in SF. We now know this is the one place that people truly frequent right after work for happy hour. We only managed to get in one martini for happy hour, but we plan to return in the very near future for another!
(Robert) Last night, Katherine and I went to Club Bahrein in the Centro district of Buenos Aires to see one of my favorite drum and bass producers, DJ Die, perform. As expected he absolutely devastated the dance floor. It came as no surprise that the club didn't even begin to feel packed until after 3am. What amazes me is the vibrancy of the Porteno dance scene. A packed room at 4am on a Tuesday? Are you kidding me? You couldn't get half as many people to see DJ Die at midnight on a Saturday in San Francisco.
I grabbed some footage using our Flip cam and uploaded to YouTube. If you look carefully, you can catch glimpses of Katherine dancing and pumping her hands in the corner of the screen.
While I have been a huge fan of drum and bass music for well over a decade, Katherine is new to the scene, and while quite a different scene from what's she's used to, she took to the music like a fish in water.
Unfortunately the second-hand smoke in basement room was so heavy that after a few hours we had no choice but to cut out or face asphyxiation. I was a bit nervous about making our way home that night after reading that one should avoid walking around the Centro district late at night. While the people on the streets seemed pleasant enough, I could understand how there could be some crime issues since the narrow streets are virtually deserted after dark. The cityscape of Centro is almost identical to that of the SOMA district in SF, and most likely, in reality, no less safe. Fortunately, the club was only 100 yards or so from the Centro police station and a cab came barreling down the cross street in less than a minute. At a cost of 10 pesos for a ride home courtesy of Radio Taxi, it was well worth it. We'll definitely be coming back to the Centro district, not just to return to the dnb weekly, but for the other world class night clubs listed in our travel guide.
Knowing that we had a big night planned, we spent most of Tuesday day putzing around the apartment and being online. However, we did decide to use another one of our Honeyfund gifts (a bottle of Argentina's finest wine – thank you Michelle!) and wandered down to one of BA's finest wine shops, Grand Cru. This place was impeccable with a fancy tasting lounge, and the wine collection was extensive. We specifically wanted a Malbac, and the sommelier guided us to a bottle of that is only available at the winery or exclusive shops. We will be holding on to the bottle until we're ready for a fine streak dinner.
After a few phone calls home, we got ready for a pre-drink at our new favorite Italian pizzeria, Piola, where we ran into our new friend Esteban and our bartender, and met Esteban's friend Pepe who is a tango instructor. We had a great chat with both of them before we took off for our final destination, Bahrein, for a weekly d&b party featuring one of Robert's favorite DJs. And yes, it was 1am when we arrived on a Tuesday, and that was considered EARLY!
After a late start, we headed back to Palermo by way of Santa Fe Ave, where I started my serious boot comparison shopping (no purchases yet.) We made our way to the Botanical Gardens, which were nice, but small. The only thing that really caught our eye was the fact that once again, there were a TON of feral cats everywhere in the gardens. We found a clearing with about 10 cats and started taking pictures, when all of a sudden, a woman that I dubbed “the Pied Piper of Kitties” came by with 2 huge bags of food. Suddenly, at least 50 cats from all over the garden came RUNNING over to her to vie for a scoop of food. Given that Robert & I are both cat-people, we were in absolute heaven & took several photos & petted many of the kitties.
Once we left the park, we headed back in to Palermo shopping district, but most stores were closed. We decided to head back to a restaurant which was absolutely packed on Friday night – La Comisa, which was pleasantly dead on a Monday. Our waitress was also kind enough to switch to broken English when she saw us struggling to order. I ended up getting the Pastel de Calabaza y Lomo, which we could best decipher as a cooked bowl of pumpkin, steak, egg, green onion, tomato, olives, and a LOT of butter. Essentially – heaven. We will learn to make this upon our return home.
As a general observation, everyone is extremely kind here. Porteños are very conservative and reserved, but very polite. I even noted at the concert from last night that no one pushed or shoved in a crowd of at least a thousand people. This is a very peaceful place.
Today we decided to explore our neighborhood, and set out to visit the Cementerio de la Recoleta, a huge cemetery which contains the coffin of Evita Perón. We watched the movie “Evita” in preparation for the trip (thank you Garrett!) so we made sure to plot out where she was located. The cemetery is made up of huge tombs that are owned by families, and it appears that the coffins are all located down a set of stairs that lead under ground. I don't know how any new families could get integrated into this cemetery though, as every square inch appears to already be taken. I took a ton of photos as a personal art project including Evita's modest family tomb, but also found a few subject of interest besides the tombs – cats! There were TONS of kitties wandering all around the tombs, and they all looked fat and well fed and pretty tame. I wondered if they were planted there purposefully, since I think the ancient Egyptians believed that cats were the protectors of the souls of the dead, and perhaps that same idea lived here in BA.
We walked back out and wandered next door to a beautiful church, the Basílica Nuestra Señora del Pilar. We continued on to the lawn to enjoy a reggae performance by a local band, and started to make our way out of the park. However, I saw a ton of people walking into a building which turned out to be the Centro Cultural Recoleta. Little did we know that there was a huge new media art exhibit going on that weekend, and the whole thing was free. The exhibits included really cool photography, live art, video clips, bizarre electronic sculptures, and a huge free concert. We really enjoyed a photo exhibit by Martín Bonetto which depicted dozens of interesting character portraits.
We then wandered to La Biela cafe, which is a local Recoleta institution, and reminded me a bit of Tosca cafe. A group of elderly men drinking coffee appeared to be quite intrigued by the foreigners sitting next to them. On our way home, we walked down Av. Alvear, which is basically like Park Avenue in NY. We were by far the worst dressed people there, which again just reaffirmed how safe we are in our neighborhood!
We again woke up late this day and took our time leisurely watching TV and finally resetting our clocks. However, we were extremely confused when our computers and clocks kept forcing “Saturday” with today's date – we had literally forgotten that we had lost a day in our transition to BA, and thought today was Friday. Hopefully this is the last time that we completely forget what day it is!
We headed back to Palermo, where the central area was completely different because it was filled with street vendors for the weekend market. The items for sale included clothes, leather goods, jewelry and art. We were on a very specific mission though – I needed to get married again. Let me explain....
We decided to leave my wedding rings at home for fear of losing them or having them stolen. However, Robert brought his ring, so my naked ring finger had caused me to spend the past 4 days feeling like his mistress and it was driving me nuts! After a LOT of searching, I finally found a modest ring with a small faux diamond at one of the boutiques. After a bit more browsing, we decided to have a bottle of wine at Club Serrano, which apparently turns into a hopping club late at night.
We went home to cook dinner & save some money, and after a short siesta we got ready to hit a neighborhood club called The Basement, which is an Irish pub up top & a club with a DJ underneath. We arrived around 2:30am, and just as the guidebook said, it was only about half full. The sound system was very good, and the DJ was spinning all deep house (Erika & Mark, we were thinking of you!) We later learned it was Manuel Sofia & Soundelixe. Sure enough, by about 4am the club was packed. There were a few Americans there, but mainly porteños. It was nice to discover a club that is so safely close to home!
We slept in ridiculously late today, but I was about to justify it because we had gotten such little sleep all week in our transition from Hawaii to BA. Also, Hawaii is very much of a daytime place, where we were naturally inclined to get up between 8:30-9:00am, and go to bed shortly after midnight. However, we are already learning that BA is a nighttime community, so we're not quite sure what it's going to do to our sleep patterns – we might have to learn how to take siestas.
Once we finally got out of the house, we headed to another nice neighborhood called Palermo. There are 2 distinct parts of Palermo, one which is focused on food, and the other is focused on shopping. I learned that this is a newly upscale neighborhood because it has recently become a trendy area to dine and shop. However, the infrastructure has not been able to keep up with the popularity, and the sidewalks are in terrible shape. That day I had worn a pair of black boots with a chunky heel – staple footwear in SF. However, I soon realized why virtually EVERY woman here sports the “flat boots over their pants” look – it's incredibly difficult to walk on the sidewalks. I wasn't planning to buy any footwear here, but my fear of taking a tumble might have to prompt a purchase. I also realized that I need to buy a leather purse with a long strap – another staple among all BA women (hey, we were told to try and look like locals for safety reasons!)
We figured out the Subte (subway) system well enough to make it to Palermo, and went on a mission to find a restaurant from the guidebook that proved to be elusive. However, we found another cute Italian pizzeria where we were able to strike up a elementary school level conversation with a really nice waiter. After dinner, we headed to a bar that Robert had also read about – Mundo Bizzaro. This was located in a part of Palermo which reminds me a lot of the Mission District in SF, where everyone is a hipster, and you are surrounded by restaurants, bars and boutiques. This particular venue was dark with sinister red lighting, and sported a rockabilly look in both their décor and bartenders. It reminds me a lot of a red-hued version of Blondie's on Valencia in SF – they take their drinks very seriously, and have a huge menu of options. We ordered a couple of items off the menu (I of course had to have a California Cooler) but for our next round we opted to order martinis, which has become Robert's favorite drink. The bartender made Robert's drink with a touch of a liquor called Parfia de Violet - it was delicious, and we will definitely be looking for a bottle at a grocery store. Also, I think it's interesting to note that all of the music they played was American, I think specifically they were rocking Peter, Bjorn and John the whole time we were there.
