12/11/11 Day Ten

It's my last night in Buenos Aires!

I've purchased all but a few of the souvenirs I have my sights set on, so today we're going back to the hippie market in Recoleta and maybe the San Telmo antique fair too. I have to bring back a mate, after all. I'm excited to share some of the fun things I've learned with my friends back home. I can't wait for Buzzy to try a Fernet con cola, he's going to love it. (Hope he doesn't read this yet, I want it to be a surprise!) We lucked out with overcast today. We'll be walking around all day, and my skin has sure taken a beating with this sun.

We took the bus to San Telmo and walked around for a bit. I found exactly the souvenirs I had in mind, so we grabbed a cerveza and headed back on the bus. On the way home, we bought some empanadas at a local bakery. We went up to the pool and vegged out. This went on throughout the night. JG had dinner plans, so I stayed home and packed. We have to be out by 10am tomorrow. I watched an Amy Winehouse special (in English) and fell asleep.

12/10/11 Day Nine

Slept in, felt great. We decided to go to the same brunch spot as yesterday, the organic vegetarian haven. We had the same yogurt/fruit/granola mix, fresh-squeezed OJ, and cafes, but this time JG ordered the fabulous wheat bread with whipped cream cheese and marmalade. It was heavenly. After our 90-minute brunch, we strolled over to the street fair - more of a book fair filled with independent authors who write about independence from the government and other political and social issues. I bought some hand-made coin purse and wallet souvenirs and we hit the supermercado. It's going to be a hot one today, so cervesa (beer) and sunblock is on the list for our lazy poolside afternoon..

Since BA is known for their tango, we're on the hunt for a show. I'd like to find one that has a lesson incorporated, but it looks like we'll have to settle for just a show. Back to San Telmo we go..

Turns out we were able to find a great show, and I got a quick lesson after all. The dancers were incredible, and the show had a bit of a "variety show" feel, where there was a eukalaley performer, two great singers, and a drummer that also did an amazing show with lariats that had wooden balls on the end of them. We met a couple from St. George, UT that were seated next to us. Turns out the guy is a cyclist. I was in heaven!

After the show, we went next door to a wine bar/restaurant where we both had a Fernet con Cola (Fernet Branca with Coke). We decided to go out to a disco or a bar over in Palermo Soho, so we hailed a cab and headed across town. Most people have gone out of town for the long holiday weekend here, so we were surprised to see hundreds of people out. We stopped in two more places for Fernet con colas, where I was able to handle the ordering for once. So far, it seems all I can order properly is coffee and alcohol. Urgh.. We looked for a bar JG has been wanting to go, but couldn't find it even after I asked a couple of locals, "Perdone, donde este Magdelena's Bar?", but still no luck, so we headed home.

12/09/11 Day Eight

Decided not to do the day trip to Bransen and instead stayed in the beautiful white loft to work. First, we ate brunch at an organic, vegetarian cafe that's six blocks from our apartment. We had protein-packed homemade wheat bread (with every kind of nut there is crammed into each bite), along with scrambled eggs, homemade, fresh yogurt with homemade granola (again, every nut imaginable), a huge dish a fresh fruit, fresh-squeezed orange juice and apple juice, and of course our cafes. The apple juice was like nothing I had ever seen. It was real apple juice with its starchy pulp still in it and it was light green in color, not the golden apple juice we find in the States. Drinking it was just like taking a bite of a green apple. I loved it. The whole brunch was fantastic! It reminded me how easy it really is to go veggie. I had more energy from that breakfast than I've had in a while.

We strolled around our new neighborhood for a while, taking the long way home, mapping out various conveniences so we know where they are when needed. Jason found his new crossfit gym and pretty much secured his semi-permanent neighborhood choice once I leave on Monday.

It's another beautiful day of perfect weather and a light breeze, so we decided to work for a bit with the sliding glass door open to let the breeze in, then head up to the roof to enjoy the pool and a little sun. Is it time for a beer? Once on the roof, we met a group of Colombians that were staying with a friend that lives in the building. 3 of the 4 could speak English, so within an hour or so, we were all fast friends. They shared their homemade caipiriñas with us, which were delish, and we all swapped stories and told each other about our countries. I was in heaven. This is what I like most about traveling - socializing. Since we were next to a pool, what better activity than pool games usually reserved for eight year-olds? The pool was a consistent 5 ft depth the entire length, so we all lined up with space in between each person, sort of like bocce ball or croquet, then took turns swimming underwater the entire length through our new friends' legs. I was first. I made it through, despite one of the guys being a wiseguy and squeezing my waist when I was half-way through, causing all of the air in my lungs to escape! It was hilarious and we all had a good laugh. Being in the spirit of an eight year-old, I did nine underwater somersaults, of course challenging anyone to beat the record, and also dove for a pen (no one had a coin). I wonder if my Mom remembers the time she gave up her diamond ring to me as a kid because no one had coins? (What confidence she had in me!) The wiseguy later showed me how to do a flip turn underwater, something I've always wanted to learn. After what seemed like 20 tries, I had it down, though still crooked. Guess I'll have to practice..

Later, we met Vale for dinner in San Telmo at a cute and popular family-style restaurant around 11pm, right on schedule. I had the best empanadas I've ever tasted! Vale has a taste for organs, which is not customary to my pallet, so when I tried kidneys, I wasn't thrilled with the texture. The flavor was good, but once I knew what it was, my gag reflexes took over. JG ordered ribs, which were delicious, but very fatty, so I figured I was full enough and stuck to drinking water and some wine. All the traveling caught up to me, so I took a cab back to the apartment while JG and Vale went across the street for a cocktail. El Presidente is in town, so many of the roads were closed off anticipating her arrival. I somehow made it back, even though my cabbie didn't speak much Spanish (he may have been Brazilian) and I couldn't remember the cross-street (Arévalo) with Paraguay. I knew it was near a main thoroughfare, Santa Fe, but that only confused him more. So I dug deep and remembered the address of the apartment. After six attempts of communicating cinco-seis-dos-cinco, then with my hands, he finally got it and we turned to go the right direction. Three minutes later, I proclaimed, "Qui, Je t'aime, tres bien! Tres bien!". Wrong language, not sure where that came from, but he felt my excitement and knew we hit the jackpot. I didn't have enough pesos, so I instead gave him a $50 USD, which I hope made his night, and I was home sweet home.

12/08/11 Day Seven (Punta del Este)

Woke up late today (10am). Since it’s the last day in Punta del Este, we want to soak up as much of the beach sun as we can before boarding the bus at 5:30, despite being burned to a crisp from the last three days of rays. We bought a bottle of our favorite local beer and walked two blocks to the beach. Today is already busier than it’s been. As we looked back at the city, we saw bus after bus rolling in with fresh tourists. The water feels amazing today. It’s warmer than the last few days. Everywhere you look, there are beach vendors walking up and down the beach with sundresses, ice cream, sarongs, and Coca-Cola. Jason once again spotted “Dingo”, the little buddy I made while here. I first met Dingo the night we got in. He is a stray (called “callejero”, pronounced “cash-e-herr-o”) that I fell in love with because he doesn’t beg. Instead, he asks politely with his eyes. I gave him 2 large handfuls of paella the first night. Then last night we spotted him after leaving the casino, so we let him come home with us where we gave him our leftover breakfast (3 medialunas) and the rest of the paella that I never finished. I later came back down to find him sitting outside our apartment and I gave him 10 minutes of the best scratches he’s probably had in a while. My hands needed a good wash anyway.. When we spotted him on the beach, he seemed to have found a new love, so I didn’t call him over. I just observed and felt thankful for clean hands.

Around 2pm, we went back to the apartment to clean up and pack. It’s another travel day, after all. Tired of lugging around my 67.5-pound filled suitcase, I ditched it for a new, smaller one that’s marketed as “ultra-light”. It certainly is. I love it. Mostly because it forces me to pack lighter too (something I’m not great at doing). I crammed as many clothes as I could in my day pack and the rest in the new ultra-light suitcase, and we were off to the bus station. Looks like I’ll avoid the temptation of Valentino and Fendi. Thank goodness for that. I don’t think my wallet could handle the hit.

Five hours on the most comfortable bus I’ve ever known, and we were back at the Ferry Station. We took a different route back, this time a 5-hr bus to Colonia, then a 1-hr ferry ride back to BA. Hopefully no screaming children this time.. Somehow on this entire trip, I’ve seemed to attract the screaming babies; sitting right behind me on the plane here, café after café of agony within earshot, the train, the ferry ride here was horrendous with a brother & sister both screaming their heads off (their parents seemingly oblivious to everyone’s pain). Everyone has babies here. I’ve never seen so many young families.

We made it off the bus and ferry with only a couple of short-lived temper tantrums, and into our new apartment on the north side of Palermo. It’s a beautiful loft, I’m so in love with it! Tomorrow bright and early, we explore our new neighborhood.

12/07/11 Day Six (Punta del Este)

Woke up early, checked in with work, and it's a beautiful day! Perfect day to bike. We picked out our bikes, signed our papers, and after riding 2 blocks, Jason's derailleur exploded! I was right behind him and saw the whole thing. Parts flying everywhere. We exchanged the bike for a new one, made it 1/4 of a mile up the coast and the chain seized up completely, rendering the bike impossible to pedal. We thought maybe it was a sign that something bad was going to happen if we rode today, but decided to push through and get a third bike. This time, he took it for a spin up the block and back. The only thing wrong was that the handlebar stem needed to be tightened. Easy fix. After an hour of mechanical failures, we were finally free. We rode south (east) on the Ruta 10 (Highway 10) about 10 miles to La Barra, a seaside town where very little people spoke English. We bought a big Stella Artois, and hit the beach. The waves were perfect! Crashing and thrashing, but still small enough to negotiate your way around to have fun. We spent a few hours napping and swimming, when Jason came back from the water and said there were three girls here from the US. I was ecstatic! One girl, Mariah, was even from Minneapolis (Eagan). We chatted for a while and told each other our stories. I'm starting to get homesick, so it was refreshing to get a little fix of the familiar. After the beach, we rode a little further down the point, then decided to turn around, as it appeared we were going out to a more rural area. The ride back to Punta felt like 40 miles. The wind had rolled in and was pushing us backwards. It was strong and relentless. I was annoyed, but also thrilled at the promise of a good workout, since I've done nothing but eat and walk and drink for a week now.

After an epic 2-hour nap, we set out for dinner. We ate outside on the beach at El Secreto and had a bottle of local Malbec along with some of the best Risotto and pan fried Brotola (a local cod-like fish) I've ever had. We overheard some more Americans. I plopped down at their table and learned all three of the guys were from NYC. One of the three has lived in Buenos Aires for the last six years and the other two were in town visiting him. Again, I got my fix of the familiar. On the way back, we stopped at the casino, where Jason was feeling lucky. He exchanged a $500 bill for $25 USD and sat at the black jack table. He lost a couple of hands, then won hand after hand after hand. He was on fire! He cashed out with $120 USD. Not bad for a quick 15 minutes. Off to bed...

12/06/11 Day Five (Punta del Este)

PDE is beautiful! The weather is perfect, the beaches pristine, the streets free from litter and graffiti, and the people are very friendly and helpful. It's a big tourist town, so I guess they're used to idiots like us with a hundred questions.

It's incredibly expensive here. I've been used to ordering anything I want in BA, since the cost is around 35% below what I'm used to paying. Here, it's like being in California where everything costs a little more than it should. So much for souvenirs..

We hit the beach after our morning bit of work. There's quite a bit of sandy shore before the big drop off. I haven't done my shark research yet, but once I do, I want to look into snorkeling. The water's really warm here, probably because of the lengthy sand barge. The waves were pretty mellow; they do not seem to be well-suited for an avid surfer or body-boarder, but perfect for body surfing or skimboarding. I'm glad we came when we did because the day we leave (Thursday) is the day this small town will be flooded with people. It's nice to not have to wait for a table or wait in long lines. We have the run of the place!

After our $1300 lunch ($70 USD), we promptly started a mental shopping list for the Supermercado. Ham & cheese sandwiches will have to suffice for a while. We walked around and decided to get up early and rent bikes tomorrow. We talked about taking a bus up or down the coast, but bikes sound much more free and fun.

With our $421 groceries ($20 USD) in hand, we headed back to the apartment for ham, cheese, and local beer.

12/05/11 Day Four (Punta del Este)

Travel Day. Not too exciting, but quite the adventure. I'm thankful to have a Spanish-speaking travel companion, that's for sure. We took the Buquebus, first by 3-hr ferry to Montevideo, then 3-hr bus ride to Punte del Este. We got in late. After meeting the sweet old couple that we're renting our apartment from, we set out to exchange some money and eat. We briefly walked up and down a few streets, gazing in the shop windows of Valentino, Fendi, and some other designers I had never heard of. We ordered our meal around midnight, but for us it was right on schedule since there's a 1-hr time difference from BA. We had paella, which was delicious, but it was made without sausage. (Sausage is the best part!) After dinner, I took a much-needed shower and collapsed into bed.

12/04/11 Day Three

Royal bed and I had a massive cuddle session this morning. I didn’t want it to end, but the moment small rays of sun shot through the dark shades, I jumped up with excitement. Another day of exploring.

After catching up on work, we set out to the heart of Recoleta, first stopping at the Recoleta cemetary, which was basically an outdoor mausoleum where Eva Peron is buried. Not knowing I should’ve looked for “Duarte”, not “Peron”, we walked down lane after lane of expensive, elaborate plots, more like houses, some having glass fronts, or stained glass doors, or giant statues, or even observing a few that had been grave robbed. Next, we walked through the Sunday “hippie market” where crafters sell various pieces of jewelry, leather, and mate -wear (pronounced ma-tay). Next, we crossed the street to the Plaza de las Naciones Unidas to view the largest steel artpiece I’ve ever seen, called the Floralis Genérica, which is complete with interactive hydraulics. It’s a large flower that opens and closes its pedals each day. Very cool, and I’m not very “arty”. We strolled around the area for a bit, looking back at the massive steel erection every so often, deciding we should visit San Telmo since on Sundays, since they have an open market (quite the to-do in the area). We hopped on the #93 bus towards San Telmo. Right off the bus, we could hear music and people talking and lots going on. San Telmo is an older part of Buenos Aires. It probably has its original roads, which are cobblestone and very rigid. We walked through the open markets, me stopping to snap shots of street performers, Jason patiently waiting, or snapping shots of his own. We each found treasures as we looked around at all the flashy and mostly antique goods being sold. JG found an antique lighter and I found wooden painted artwork that looks like a canvas at first glance, but when you look closer, it tells a more interactive story by begging you to open the various wooden doors. Once they’re all open (2-3 doors), you see a couple romantically dancing the tango, wrapped in each others arms with nothing but music tying them together. Well, music and maybe a cocktail or two. We stopped at a local pub for a [wordsmith: need word for “didn’t fill me up”] salad and a mediocre sandwich, where we met some American tourists. It was comforting in a strange way to hear our language being spoken and actually feel like an active participant for a brief moment. We walked around a bit more and ended up at the center square (25th de Mayo). We took a few pictures outside the “Pink House” where the President, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, conducts business. The Pink House lights up at night, neon pink. You can catch a glimpse of it from just about every major thoroughfare in the vicinity, which there are many since the City spans out in every direction from this particular center of town. We took the subway (my first subway ride ever) from this part of town up to the Congressional Building (3 stops). The subway cars were at least 75 years old, maybe 100. Very charming but very curious, since they seemed to inch backward a little bit each time we took off. We then came back to our neck of the woods, stopped in a local Plaza (park), watched as the many young couples snuggled on park benches or blatantly made out in the open. Then saw an older couple holding hands, strolling through the park. It’s a very love-filled park apparently. Walked back to our flat, jumped in the shower and started thinking about dinner.

We ordered what was to be the best meal yet around 11pm at ‘red.’, which is on the island side of Puerto Madero, where we ate on the mainland side last night. I had salmon wrapped in filo dough set on a bed of rossi potatoes and vegetables scattered on the plate. JG had Risotto with Octopus, perfectly prepared. Not tough or chewy in any way. The Argentine football (soccer) team won the championship tonight and happened to celebrate at the hotel we were having dinner at. After finishing our meal and wine, we checked out the ‘white bar’ on the same floor. Since the drinks were almost as expensive as our meals, we decided to head back and do laundry since we’re in our last night at the palace before heading out to the beaches of Uruguay. Our splurge of a meal cost $$357 pesos ($90 USD). Pretty sweet.

12/03/11 Day Two

Woke up in the royal bed, a king-sized cloud of comfort where you can stretch out as far as you want without disrupting your partner. We had to be out the door by 10:30am in order to drink my cafe con leche (coffee with milk, or latte), fresh-squeezed orange juice, Jason’s cafe cortado (strong, like espresso), and eat our medialunas (croissants with honey glaze) in time to meet Vale (pronounced Val-lay) at the train station. Within moments of meeting Vale, I loved her. She has a vivacious spark that lights up those around her. She has a great sense of humor and an even better ability to make you instantly comfortable telling her any of your secrets. She ordered the 3 tickets, “Tres a Tigre”, which cost under five pesos total (around 35 cents per person), and we were on our way 28km (17.5 miles) to the Parana Deltas. Fifty-five minutes later, after seeing more graffiti than in all my life combined, we arrived in Tigre. Tigre is on the north side of town and is a popular attraction for local tourists. There are shops organized in large markets (such as the Puerto de frutos), an amusement park (Luna Park), and even a casino. It’s set on the side of a large network of waterways, which start out large, then wind and turn into smaller and smaller neighborhoods for the weekend vacationers. We stood in line for the water taxis, which come by every 10-15 minutes dropping people off and picking people up. Even the locals commute via water taxi for their groceries. We rode the taxi, stop after stop, for 20 minutes or so before getting off near a riverfront restaurant boasting “Quilmes” beer. Vale, being the expert tour guide, chose to bypass the first restaurant and take us on a little hike behind it. We followed a path and crossed a bridge to follow another path, this time narrower and with lush vegetation all around us and various species of birds chirping everywhere. We were suddenly in another world. A tropical paradise. Pretty soon it felt more like an organized city sidewalk than a dirt pathway. We passed by numerous houses (more like cabins), with jetskis flying by on the other side of us, along with small row boats, large row boats, canoes, kayaks, and even the occasional regular boat, though most were tied up to their respective docks at the bottom of the cliff where they met water. For an hour or so, we hiked along the uneven sidewalk, told jokes, exchanged language lessons, and settled in an outdoor patio restaurant covered with a 20-30 year old vine tree that provided shade for at least twenty patrons. We ate chorizo, pommes frites, and milanesa (breaded, deep-fried steak pounded thin with a layer of serrano ham and cheese, topped with marinara). After stuffing ourselves, we wobbled back to the taxi dock and waited for the next boat. Once back on land, we walked around to the various mercados and feria (outdoor market or festival) for another hour or two before heading back to the train station where I was coached by Vale on how to order our return tickets. “Tres a Retiro.” The attendant looked at me with disgust, but not because I butchered my “R” in “Retiro”. Instead her grimace was due to my handing her a 50 peso for a $$4.85 bill. An hour-long train ride later and we said thank you and good-night to Vale, promptly walked back to our swanky apartment, and started thinking about dinner. JG wanted to show me the strip by the water on Puerto Madero, home to the Puente de la Mujer (“Women’s Bridge”, which is rumored to be modeled after the tango.) and numerous restaurants (including another Il Gatto and American TGI Fridays). We chose a fine steakhouse and like clockwork, ordered our dinner around 11pm.

After dinner, we stopped for drinks at a thumping, neon filled bar/restaurant filled with twenty-somethings, where JG ordered a Fernet Branca con Cola and I ordered a strong Caipirinha. His was better.

12/02/11 Day One

Arrived in BA, met JG at the airport, took cab to apartment in Palermo. First apartment was awful, so we complained and ended up in a beautiful loft-style palace in Recoleta, next door to the Romanian Embassy. Recoleta is a very upscale, clean, safe area. One of the only areas I’ve seen so far within the city that does not have graffiti, a popular thrill-seeker around here among kids with too much time on their hands. JG thinks spray paint should be banned outright. After switching apartments, we showered and darted for the door. People eat later here, so 12 or 1 am is a perfectly acceptable time for a meal. We were ordering by 11pm at Il Gatto, a popular Italian chain drenched in red linens, walls, and chairs. I had the lasagna, which was heavenly.