Southern Hemisphere Sojourn

In a train of thought that was greatly accentuated on Election Day '04, I have been experiencing a desire to ESCAPE the country. To the extent that I am going to South America for 8 days in April (albeit without a new identity and millions stashed in an offshore bank account) that desire is about to be fulfilled to the greatest extent realistically possible. --------------------------------------------
Without having actively thought about it too much, a while ago I realized that I had not gone on an extended holiday in a long time, much less out of the U.S. Despite having done a lot of research, it still felt somewhat impulsive when I actually bought a ticket for Argentina this April.
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Specifically, I will be in Argentina from April 7-15, and am making this post to solicit any constructive advice, comments or thoughts from those who are from there or who have travelled there, as they would be appreciated. Although there would be sufficient time to check out one other area of the country, I will be spending my time in Buenos Aires and environs (going for depth over breadth, and don't want to spend an undue amount of time travelling around).
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In terms of what I would like to do, the agenda is nothing extraordinary: walk around town, go to a few museums and cultural/historical highlights, eat some beef (and empanadas), shopping, check some nightlife and take 1 or 2 day trips outside of town.

Southern Hemisphere Sojourn- the Return

I returned yesterday from 9 days in Buenos Aires, and it was totally awesome. In the interest of being a little more specific, over the next few weeks I intend to type up a rough journal I kept while down there that I hope will be of interest to the general reader and also to those who may be contemplating a trip to BA. Hopefully I will be able to post some pictures as well.
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Since it was only an hour time difference, after a long night of sleep I don't feel too out of it physically, but cognitively it is a little weird being back in America.

Pictures: BA & Environs

Here are the pictures that I took in BA and environs (April 2005). Artistically there's a few good ones but most were taken on the fly. I was using disposable cameras to remain inconspicuous and did not want to draw any undue attention to myself. Nevertheless, over 60 pictures came out alright. Enjoy!
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http://photos.yahoo.com/dmonay

Arrival

Thrs. April 7 ~ 5:40 a.m.

I am presently about one hour from setting foot on Argentine soil. Rather surprisingly, the Aerolineas Argentinas flight has been much more comfortable than anticipated. The Airbus 340 plane is new and clean, and no one is sitting next to me. With the assistance of some Nyquil I was able to get a moderate amount of sleep, and the food (dinner & breakfast) was actually pretty decent. Plus I woke up in time to catch the last half of one of the schlockiest movies of the past year, "National Treasure."
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The plane just landed. I have US$900 strapped to my calf (in a fit of pre-trip anxiety, I was too paranoid about using ATMs and, coupled with a poor capacity to budget in the abstract, decided to take cash with me. When I ultimately needed to use them late in the trip, the ATMs worked fine of course). It is still dark outside. The adventure hereby officially begins.

Note of Social Commentary

The exchange rate that Americans presently enjoy has been brought about at the expense, often great, of the common Argentine person. The AR$ used to be pegged to the US$ (i.e. 1 AR$ = 1 US$), but now the rate is approximately 2.8 AR$ = 1 US$, or roughly 3 to 1. Nevertheless, one of the ways that we can help to alleviate the effects wrought by this imbalance is to visit and spend money in Argentina.

First Day

Thrs. April 7
I am staying at the Wilton Hotel in Barrio Norte, and luckily they let me check in a few minutes after my early morning arrival as opposed to making me wait until the official noon check in time. The room is in better shape than the reviews I had read on Expedia made it out to be, plus the water pressure in the shower is great. Even though the view is of the other side of the hotel, the room is away from the street and quiet. The hotel is a few steps from Avenida Santa Fe, a major east-west thoroughfare that is packed with stores, cafes and restaurants.
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I put on MTV Latin America (Britney, indeed, is an international star), took a shower, unpacked my stuff and gathered my thoughts prior to heading out. It was gray & rainy initially (bringing a windbreaker was a good move) but after about an hour it cleared up.
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Initial impressions: the city has a high population density and is pretty intense. My initial destination was the Plaza de Mayo, which is the center of the government and an area of significant historical importance. It is the epicenter of the 1810 Revolution and break from Britain, and over 100 years later Peron addressed the masses from here. There were a lot of police around, so I felt pretty safe taking some pictures.
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On the walk there, after several attempts to exchange dollars (apparently it helps to have a passport to do so, and like a prudent tourist I had left mine in a safe deposit box at the hotel), I stopped at a cafe on Calle Lavalle to re-energize. The place had an old school feel to it, and the staff wore white shirts with black bow ties.
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Before my trip I had romantic visions of chilling out at a cafe, sipping coffee and watching the world go by. Now, at long last, it was actually happening, and it filled me with an immense sense of satisfaction. On top of that, a cortado (espresso with a little hot milk) and 2 empanadas was less than US$2.
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The pedestrian mall of Calle Florida is lined with stores and packed with people (beware of pickpockets here). To the extent that traffic in this town is heavy and, as I was warned, drivers are especially aggressive, navigating a lengthy street without cars is quite fine with me. At risk of being redundant, to say that the traffic here is fast and furious is gross understatement; it is insane. In fact, when riding in a taxi I would not look out the front window and felt more comfortable looking out the side.
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Crossing the 20-lane Avenida 9 de Julio was not too bad, however, and the ultra-wide avenue with its oversize advertising signs and the Obelisco at its epicenter is truly a sight to behold. If you take the tour of Teatro Colon (see April 15) part of its basement goes underneath this street; it is a weird sensation to look up and imagine the cars racing overhead.
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I got back from my post-flight walk around 5:00 p.m. and took a much needed rest in my room. Before long I fell asleep and did not wake up until midnight. Although that is the perfect time to out in this town, I was not going anywhere except back to bed, which is where I remained until the next morning.

BA Zoo

Fri. April 8
The breakfast spread at the hotel, included with the price of the room (US$58/night), was pretty decent. As much as I enjoy cafecitos, cortados and other variations of espresso, nothing beats a cup of strong black America coffee to start your day. A couple of sweet pastries (medialunas) with some coffee and orange juice and I was ready to start my day.
-------------------------- Sidenote: typically one should leave their ticket, passport and U.S. housekeys in a safe deposit box at the hotel when traveling abroad. However, it is nearly impossible to exchange money at a bank here without a passport (a color copy or drivers license will most likely not work (and you will prob. have to wait in line), although the latter did at like the 3rd bank I tried. Having brought a lot of US$ with me (as mentioned previously), I was at last able to find a change place (gratefully recommended by the hotel) right around the corner that exchanged money, at a good rate, with no questions asked.
---------------------------- Although I have not had any problems so far, I imagine that BA has air pollution problems given its density and heavy traffic. I couldn't help but think this as I walked along a busy street towards the BA zoo. It is prob. worse in the summer.
----------------------- As I suspected from a perusal of a map, it indeed was a long walk. The unquestioned highlight was my discovery of a joint called Solo Empanadas on Avenida Las Heras. I stopped in and got 3 of them: spicy meat, chicken and vegetables (the latter of which was spinach & cheese, very much like the appetizer dip found in the States). The empanadas are made to order, and even though I got mine to go and ate them outside of the zoo about 20 minutes later they were still hot. They were by far the best empanadas I have had thus far (note: they were the best ones I had the entire trip. although not ubiquitous, branches of this places are interspersed around the city, so if you see one don't hesitate to stop!).
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The zoo itself is quite pleasant, and I spent a while wandering around, taking a lot of pictures of the animals. They have a lot of animals native to South America that you probably won't find in a North American zoo, especially the reptiles, and there are ducks wandering around all over. If you like entymology, there is a cool room full of mounted insects, scorpions and spiders.
-------------------------------------- It is in the low 70s during the day and can get warm while walking around, esp. in the sun. In need of some refreshment on the walk back, I stopped at an ice cream shop/cafe on Avenida Santa Fe. Without knowing exactly what it contained, I got a 5 peso cup (more like a bowl) of chocolate italiano and a cortado. The ice cream was extremely rich and tasty, and contained chunks of chocolate and walnuts. I now have a sufficient sugar rush to walk back the remaining 19 blocks to the hotel and check out whatever sights on the way.
----------------------------------------------------------- Dinner at a trendy restaurant in a trendy neighborhood (Central/Palermo Viejo) and 1st taste of Argentine beef in the form of a T-Bone. One can eat a lot of beef down here, and I certainly ended up doing so. While other sources can discuss this topic in much more depth, I would suggest to at least read up a bit of the different ways that different parts can be prepared (at a minimum, to learn what to NOT eat). For instance, you probably wouldn't want to get meat done rare; medium or better is the best way to go (however, I have seen the Spanish word, a punto, defined in different texts as medium and medium rare). I don't want to focus on prices, but even at nicer spots the exchange rate is very favorable for dining. For those who may be interested, a full-out dinner (3-course) + bottle of wine cost will run about US$ 50-60 (total for two persons, inc. tip--customary tip in this country is 10%, which is lower than the 15% in the U.S. that I am used to. Nevertheless, I pretty much always tipped more than 10% during my visit).

Palermo Neighborhood

Sat. April 9
Walked over to the Museo LatinAmericano de BA (MALBA) which, unsurprisingly, has Latin American art (from the early to mid-20th century). The museum is in the Palermo neighborhood, which is known for its wide boulevards and numerous parks. It is, indeed, a very pleasant area in which to walk around. The museum itself is laid out quite well, and the interior reminded me of the newer east building of the National Art Gallery in Washington, D.C. ------------------------------------------ Although I had tentatively planned to visit several museums, for today one was enough. Plus, as the walk over prob. took a good 45 minutes from my hotel I was a little tired and sat outside the museum for a few minutes. The weather is extremely conducive to walking outside, so after consulting a map for general reference (and eating one of the powerbars I had brought w/me from the States), I headed south through Palermo and Recoleta with the ultimate late afternoon destination of my hotel.
--------------------------------------------------- On the way back I ran into one of the several shopping malls in town (Alto Palermo) & decided to check it out. Plus I really needed something approaching a regular meal. Immediately upon entering there was a French-themed spot, at which I got a baguette sandwich (chicken), soda and a large chocolate tartaleta pastry for about US$3.50. The exchange rate will likely continue to amaze me the entire trip.
--------------------------------------- Sidenote: if you are thinking of visiting it is highly recommended to brush up on or learn a little Spanish. A penchant for languages coupled with a basic twice-a-week-at-lunch class when I first moved to Miami allows me to speak it at a fairly basic (but I would like to think efficient) level (mastering verb tenses is another issue though). In particular, knowing Spanish for food, numbers, directions, days of the week and how to ask basic questions will go a long way to communicating effectively and thereby will make your experience much more enjoyable. Most people I encountered were very accommodating and seemingly appreciative of my attempts to communicate in Spanish. Without going into the details, also be aware that in Argentine Spanish some words, phrases and cadences sound a little different from the Spanish spoken elsewhere (owing in part to the Italian influence in the country).
----------------------------------- As it turned out I had the opportunity to dine at the most-discussed best-known restaurant in town, Cabana Las Lilas. Fueling its fable, there is an estancia that is the exclusive supplier of beef to this place. Somewhat akin to Joe's Stone Crabs in Miami Beach, for all the hoopla and hype this place receives the food is outstanding (both in selection and quality). There is a huge wine list as well, and it's incredibly pleasant if you can get a table outside with a view of the canals (Puerto Madero is a port area in the midst of a revitalization, meaning in this case a few new hotels and a growing selection of restaurants/bars). For BA it is one of the more expensive places (meaning US$50-60 per person for everything), but if you can swing it then definitely check it out.

Day Trip to an Estancia

Sun. Apr. 10
Today I took an excursion to an estancia/ranch (Santa Susanna) about 70 km outside of town. I had lined it up prior to my visit on the website www.argentinago.com and, despite being moderately tired from the night before, it worked out pretty well.
------------------------------------------ The bus picked me up right outside my hotel; it was a gray, dreary Sunday morning and the streets were eerily and completely empty. Although it was not previously announced as part of the itinerary, we first stopped at the much-discussed San Telmo antiques fair for half an hour. It was pretty interesting to wander around there; most of the antiques are tchotchkes but I bought some tango-themed coasters and wallets for later use as gifts.
----------------------------------------------- The ride out to the countryside was pretty relaxing, and the tour guide pointed out sites in both English and Spanish. At the estancia here were several other tour buses as well, and one could ride a horse or in a horse-drawn wagon (basically traveling for a brief distance in a circle, nothing too rigorous or major). I didn't really feel like doing either, so I just checked out a house/museum decorated in period style and took in the scenery of La Pampa, imagining how much of this area must have looked prior to European settlement. There was a large asado (barbeque/grill), probably about 20 feet long, upon which a wide variety of meats were being grilled. I hope that the pictures of the meat turn out well.
--------------------------------------- It was not too difficult to meet other people on this day trip. I ended up sitting at lunch with a chick from Mexico and had the pleasure of watching 4 40ish, probably upper-class women from Guatemala get drunk during the meal. None of them spoke much English so I tried to keep up in the conversations the best I could. Lunch itself was quite good; there were a few salads but the overall focus was on meat. After the meal a couple performed some tango and traditional dances. Although it was in an utterly touristy setting, it was the first time I had seen tango dancing performed live and it was incredibly captivating. After the dancing there was a styled gaucho show outside, which was pretty cool if you like horses (the horses run around and the men perform some tricks and whatnot).
------------------------------- While my more cynical side (which has been kept in check this entire trip, refreshingly) would deem the day as touristy, it is totally worth it to get out of the city for a day and on top of that the whole thing only cost US$35. Plus on the bus there was a chance to try mate, a tea drink that is closely identified with the River Plate area (but, ironically, not available in restaurants, as it is usually prepared and shared amongst family and friends). I slept most of the way back to town, and chilled in my room for a few hours afterwards. I didn't have to wander any farther than across the street from my hotel to briefly peruse the selection at a music store (CDs are US$8 for everything, even new stuff. I am stocking up big time before leaving) and pick up a few empanadas from the same place I went to the other night. At this point a long night of sleep was the sole remaining item on the agenda.

Open Day

Mon. Apr. 11 (written the next day)

Yesterday I had blocked as an open day and was able to take things at a leisurely pace. I had lunch plans for 1400 with this chick whom I had exchanged several e-mails prior to my trip via the lonely planet travel forum.
------------------------- In the morning I went to Recoleta Cemetery, which was about a 20 minute walk from my hotel. It is very maze-like, and each tomb has its own style of architecture. The people for whom many of the streets are named after in this town are buried here. As far as cemeteries go it was pretty cool but after wandering around for about 45 mins. and taking the obligatory picture of Evita's tomb I had enough.
----------------------- Lunch w/my Argentine friend was relaxing and replete with interesting conversation. She had recently returned to BA after living in Canada for 7 months, and had a lot of insights about her experiences outside of the country and Argentine politics and history. We'll prob. get together for a farewell beer/happy hour on Fri. afternoon b/f my departure.
---------------------------- That night I went to check out some live jazz at a cd store/cafe/music venue just two blocks from the hotel. I wasn't really that hungry but, when presented with the option, figured to get some beef anyway. The music was more modern, nothing I would get at the store but live it was totally worth it. This spot (http://www.notorious.com.ar/) has live music most of the week; I could easily have gone there every night.

South Side

Tues. Apr. 12

Today I had figured to go back to a store in Microcenter I had passed on my 1st day in town to buy some soccer jerseys prior to the tour of "Hidden BA/The Other South" at 1400. I also wanted to stop by Teatro Colon to try to reserve a tour spot for Friday (call the day before was the answer).
--------------------------------On the walk over the jersey store I realized that I was right by the city's Holocaust Museum and stopped in to check it out. As with every other museum I had been to, the writing for the exhibits was only in Spanish. I was particularly impressed w/the museum because it also discussed and integrated Argentine Jewish history w/the events of WW II. There was also a display on the Nazis who escaped to Argentina after the war and their eventual fates.
---------------------- Important (and seemingly obvious in retrospect) note: Do not attempt to take any photographs of Jewish-related places. Photos inside are of course prohibited, but on walking out of the museum I took a picture of its display banner, which is out on a public street in plain view. Without going into details, doing so immediately attracted a lot of adverse attention and resulted in several moderately stressful minutes. This was compounded by the fact that the displeasure over my seemingly innocuous act was conveyed in rapidly spoken Spanish that I could not possibly hope to follow or adequately formulate a response. After this incident my desire to take pictures anywhere was quite curtailed, as my quasi-paranoid fears about taking pictures in a foreign country had somewhat come to light.
---------------------------------------- The other annoying thing to happen to me in a matter of an hour was the first attempted tourist rip-off (as it turned out, this was the only one my entire visit). After buying the soccer jerseys, I stopped in place nearby and ordered 3 empanadas to go. It should have cost about AR$ 3.60, and the guy tried to charge me AR$ 13 (which will buy you a dozen), so I simply left. While I was certaintly pissed that this had happened to me, I was even more pleased to have caught onto it, thereby avoiding a minor rip-off (but a rip-off nonetheless). I soon found a sit-down restaurant and had a slice of spinach torta (a pastry-based item similar to a slice of pie) and 2 very tasty empanadas before catching a cab back to the hotel to drop off some purchases prior to the afternoon tour. -------------------------------------- For the most part, I am kind of an impatient person. If you can read about a heavily visited area and are capable of walking around by yourself or w/your group, a tour of such areas seems to be a bit of a redundancy. That is why I wanted to take the "Hidden BA" tour, b/c it went to neighborhoods that, while still interesting, a regular tourist would never go to otherwise. (http://www.eternautas.com/).
------------------------------------------ The driver and guide met me right in front of the hotel, and off we went. I guess another good aspect of a tour is that you can kind of let your guard down a bit in that you are following the guide and don't have to be worried about your precise location at every moment. The guide was a social anthropologist, prob. about my age, who works as a guide part time (due to the $ problems here, I discovered that a lot of people have multiple jobs). He spoke good English and did a great job of explaining how the city's history has impacted the neighborhoods as they exist today (e.g. their architecture, a park built over a cemetery of latter 19-century yellow fever victims). The barrios we visited in the south part of town (Barracas, Boceo and Nueva Pompeya) are definitely a bit more run down and have a good deal more graffiti than the areas I had been frequenting up north. We got out of the car several times to check out various sites, and overall it was an awesome tour. I had never been on a small private tour w/just me and guide, and it was totally worth it.
------------------------------ That evening I went to a tango show at the oldest cafe in the city (if not the country), Cafe Tortoni. While the show was good, I would have probably been better off reading a book for a few hours at the cafe; the interior just exudes character and history. The food was mediocre and b/c the performance area was closely packed it was difficult to see the dancers' feet, but the performance was very lively and the band (the violinist and bandoneon player, in particular) was great. Plus the show itself was only AR$ 20.

Palermo Viejo- - Hipster's Paradise

Wed. Apr. 13 (written the next day)

Another side note: a lot of places here use military-style time (I don't know the exact phrase for it, but it is based on a 24 hour clock), so for instance 3:00 a.m. is 0300 and 10:00 p.m. is 2200. If you are totally unfamiliar with this method of time-keeping, at least be aware of it.----------------- Yesterday was a day of major walking; it is very fortunate it worked out that way b/c today (Thrs) it has been rainy and rather unpleasant outside the entire day.---------------------- I started the day by heading to the former home of tango icon Carlos Gardel, located in the Abasto neighborhood southwest of my hotel. It is not a huge museum but has a lot of historical curios and some cool tango-themed artwork. I kind of wanted to check it out as well b/c of an interest in house-based museums (for instance, I remember visiting the Ben Gurion house in Tel Aviv). Admission was free that day and the chick working at the entrance was extremely friendly and outgoing. We talked for a bit and she told me about a folk music show that night (unfortunately I already had other plans; oh well).------------------ After that I walked around the noticeably new and gleaming Abasto Mall for a bit (the malls are very nice) and headed west through the historically Jewish neighborhood of Once (though I didn't see that much Jewish-related stuff).------------------------------ From there the destination was the much-discussed as up & coming Palermo Viejo neighborhood (I will attempt to refrain from hackneyed adjectives). It was a long walk, and as it turned out quite worth it. The architecture here is 1 & 2 story buildings, which is a pleasant respite and contrast from the taller structures found in much of the city. Around 1330 I stopped at a spot called Bar 6. Couches, exposed concrete, small upstairs and outside areas plus a bar constitute the main decor; during the day it is pleasantly lit inside. It, along with several other places I went to, it can in retrospect be classified as a modern-style type of cafe/restaurant/bar since you could basically get anything from a coffe to a to drink to a full meal (this makes for interesting people watching as well).--------------------------
I really needed to rest and recoup, so I got a well-deserved beer, read "Balkan Ghosts" for a while on one of the couches and ordered a roast duck entree (it was very good). Unlike most places in America, nothing was rushed; w/lunch, more reading and coffee I was there for over 2 hours.
----------------------------------- Although I was not really in need of any clothes, I wanted to check out some of the independent/designer boutique shops in the area. After wandering around for a while I ended up buying some unusual bell bottom khaki pants and a CD at a store that most closely reminded me of BASE (on Miami Beach) in that this one had clothes, a few decorative items/housewares and a CD area when you walk in.------------------- It was getting later in the afternoon & had started to rain. There was no way I was walking back to my hotel so I grabbed a cab and rested for a while. That night I actually returned to Palermo Viejo for dinner w/a friend at a spot with a mellow, minimalist chill interior + CD store upstairs (Lomo). --------------At night in this neighborhood each restaurant is kind of its own enclave, as there weren't many people walking around (then again it was still raining); I prefer it during the day b/c you can wander around a bit more and feel removed from the more bustling areas of the city. Overall definitely a happening neighborhood with a low key/chill feel.

Rainy Day at the Spa

Thrs. Apr. 14

The physical effects from the previous day's walk had really caught up w/me, and the only items on the agenda were a 2:45 p.m. session at a spa around the corner and dinner with my Argentine friend that night. Plus it was gray outside and raining hard (it would continue to so the entire day; Travis Bickle would have loved it!). ---------------As it turned out, despite my lack of a serious schedule I still had to rush to my appointment, mainly b/c I became enthralled in CD shopping (I went back to finish up later in the evening- more on this below). I took a cab up the street to sample some empanadas from a recommended old-school place (El Sanjuanino). Running late, I got them to go and ate them as I walked back in the mild rain towards the spa (I don't like having to eat while walking, but they were quite good).----------------- I popped a mint before going in and my body was a little pumped form the 15 minute walk. It wasn't until about 1/2 way through the initial facial treatment that I started to calm down.---------------------- As part of my research I had pulled every New York Times travel piece about BA from the past 3 years. The Aqua Vita Medical Spa had been mentioned in one fairly recently, and of course I had to check out at least one thing discussed in the articles. While I have had massages before, this time I allowed myself the pleasure of a full-out spa visit, and at about US$ 75 there was no excuse not to. The facial was super relaxing and the massage afterwards was fantastic, esp. after all the walking I had done plus a recent lower back injury at the gym. The final treatment was a hydro-aroma therapy bath, which was very mellow and ultimately resulted in a huge release of toxins via sweat. Given the high humidity that day, I continued to sweat heavily for over a half-hour after I left the spa, which wasn't necessarily nasty (I certainly did not smell bad) but was somewhat unpleasant to the extent of feeling drenched. I left a nice tip for the skin therapist and masseuse, and walked out of there with my body feeling completely at ease.----------- Afterwards I stopped in a cafe for a bit and then to the CD store to finish up my shopping. I went to Musimundo, which has a wide range of genres but not much depth. Since I didn't really have any tango music the lack of depth was not a huge deal. If you like music, CD shopping in BA is one of the best bargains around. The price for everything, including new releases, was US$ 6-8. Plus I found a 10% off coupon while glancing through a tourist guide, so about 30 CDs ended up costing US$ 160 (i.e. slightly more than US$ 5 apiece!).------------- Having not sampled that much pasta yet despite the country's Italian influence, that evening my Argentine friend took me to an Italian spot in the Monserrat neighborhood, well off the tourist path (since my trip, a Washington Post travel piece mentioned the restaurant, called Campo de Fiori). The pasta is made fresh, and you choose the kind of pasta you want + the sauce (there were about 15 choices for each!). The decor was exposed red brick with mirrors and other ornamentations. It truly was one of those meals that you don't want to end b/c you are enjoying the company and the food so much. Afterwards we walked back to our respective places (her apt. was not too far from my hotel) in the pouring rain. It was actually a very enjoyable walk, and I got to take in a few previously unseen neighborhoods.

Last Day in Town

Fri. Apr. 15

The agenda today was to check out a museum, take a landmark tour and eventually walk back to the hotel so that I would be tired for (and could thus hopefully sleep on) the 11:15 p.m. flight back to America.-------- This morning I took a cab to the Museo Historico Nacional in the San Telmo neighborhood, which is a historical museum about BA and Argentina in general. Some of the exhibit captions were in English, and amongst the inevitable portraits of generals and military figures there are a ton of artifacts, relics and curios (plus a slightly amusing revisionist display relating to the early 1980s war over the Islas Malvinas (Falkland Islands).---------------- Thereafter I walked up through a non-picturesque, busy street up to the Plaza de Mayo area and had an unremarkable lunch at a businessman-geared cafeteria. Given the warnings about San Telmo (although these are usually restricted to the night) I was kind of nervous to walk on any deserted side streets and, at the price of visual aesthetics, stuck to the larger thoroughfares.------------------ After lunch it was on to a tour of Teatro Colon, which is considered to have some of the best acoustics in the world. I had made a reservation for the English-speaking tour, and it lasted a little over an hour. You do get to sit inside the Teatro itself (the architecture can be described as elaborate and sumptuous), which is amazing, plus you go to the extensive basement area, which has rooms for rehearsals, costumes and sets/props. We even got to see dancers rehearsing for an upcoming performance. Very interestingly, part of the basement runs underneath the 20-lane Avenida 9 Julio, and there is a window where you can look up at the street. It's intense to think of all the traffic racing overhead.------------------------- Following the tour I got some empanadas and wandered over to the nearby Galerias Pacifico, a well kept mall in the middle of town. If you go to its lower part there are large wall paintings/murals that make even a quick trek through the mall most worthwhile. Two cortados and then jumped in a cab back to the hotel to wait for my taxi to the airport. Taking in the sights and people on the cab ride back, it really began to hit me just how much I would miss BA. More than just the usual end-of-vacation-imminent-return-to-reality blues, but a deep seated aching to be leaving a place that I really enjoyed and, even more important, in which I felt very comfortable.

Semi-Stranded

Sat. Apr. 16---5:15 a.m.

Last night the 1st significant problem of my trip occurred, which is that my 11:15 p.m. Fri. flight was delayed until 8:30 the next morning. I had returned to my hotel @ 6:00 p.m. to close out my safe deposit box and wait for my ride to the airport an hour later. Upon getting my bags there was a message to call the airline, which couldn't have been good news, and indeed upon calling I was informed of the above.------------- My hotel was full for that night so I had to figure out my next move. I only had enough pesos on me for the ride to the airport and, in my worn-down condition, experienced several minutes of mild panic. I had mentally and physically (by doing a lot of walking such that I would be tired and able to sleep on the flight) prepared myself for this evening's departure, and now had to regroup fast. Fortunately, the first place I called had a room available (from my pre-trip research I was familiar w/some of the other hotels in town).------- A quick cab ride over and I was checked in. It totally sucked when the porter began informing me of the hotel's amenities, inc. a sumptuous sounding breakfast, only to inform him that I'd be checking out @ 4:30 in the morning.------------ It wasn't like I was totally out of cash, so I paid for the room on a credit card and hit an ATM for some $ that night. A quiet meal @ a nearby cafe and then off to bed for a brief rest. I was due back at work the next monday, and was already cutting it tight with a Sat. return.----------- Utterly unsurprisingly, I did not feel that well the next morning due to the truncated sleep and not-completely-dispelled stress, but had certainly been better off than those passengers who were already @ the airport when the delay was announced. I blew my last pesos on candy at an airport kiosk, and basically waited around in a semi-zoned state to depart the country. The flight back was full, and worse yet the movie was "National Treasure" (again!).-----------The only 2 cool things were that I was sitting in the window seat of the left hand/west facing side of the plane, and you could totally see the Amazon River. The other cool thing, which was a view as well, was seeing what must have been the northern coast of Venezuela stretch endlessly in the horizon, where South America meets the Caribbean Sea. My sojourn to South America was ending. Now, every time I put on a tango CD or ponder the sights that the rest of the country has to offer (while hoping that the exchange rate remains favorable), I can only think of one word: REGRESAR!