Buenos Aires Notebook

Back home - last post!

2008-11-26T19:57:00.000-08:00

Flew home Sunday. Left my glasses on the airplane. Glad to be in a place where I don't have to hoard coins or watch for broken pavement. Back to my old life, my "real" life. So far, the jet lag hasn't been too bad, and neither has work, as this is a slow week and I am mostly just getting caught up (only 1200 emails). Plus, I am still benefiting from the holiday "afterglow." Nothing bothers me these days.

Since my vacation is over, this is my last post. I guess this is where I am supposed to profoundly talk about how the sabbatical changed my life. Well, it didn't. But it was everything I expected and needed. I slowed down and enjoyed life. It's amazing how much you can see, smell and hear when you are not preoccupied with the daily grind. I experienced living in a big, dynamic city, in a different culture, which required patience, perseverance and an open mind, and gave me some perspective about living in Portland and the US. Along the way I made some new friends too. When I came back, I was certainly more positive and patient about everything, especially work. Needless to say, I was thrilled to be home with Marc and Pia, our 14+ year old dog. I also realized how lucky I am, to have not only an employer who offers leaves of absence, but a job to come back to.

I am still unpacking. There is a huge stack of unread New Yorkers next to my bed. I forgot my parent's anniversary (sorry Mom and Dad, I will call you!). And, ITS WINTER HERE. But, it will all be all right, no?

Thanks for joining me on this holiday - doing the blog has been a blast.

As they say in Argentina,

Un beso grande

Sarajane

Polo!

2008-11-23T19:10:00.000-08:00

One really can't fully experience Argentina without something horse-related, as Argentina loves its horses. There are two kinds of horse traditions here: the gaucho and his trusty horse, herding cattle through the Pampas, and the civilized, British horse sports of horse-racing and polo. Watching and learning to play polo has been high on my list of things to do while in Argentina. My interest in playing polo waned considerably, however, when I learned that the polo mallet is swung only with the right hand. That's pretty intimidating for a lefty! I mean, its really hard to learn to play polo so why start out with a major handicap. So, I scrapped plans for lessons and spent the money on new riding boots instead.

So, that leaves me as a spectator. But that's still OK, as I saw an amazing polo match yesterday in BA. The match was part of the uber prestigious Argentine Open, one of three tournaments played in Argentina and known collectively as "the triple crown" of polo. The best polo ponies and players in the world come from Argentina, so I got to see some first class polo.

Polo has a reputation as a snooty sport, but I sat in the cheap seats, and the crowd was a mix of preppy and bleacher bum. The sport is fast and furious, as there are only four players on each team, no goalie and a large field, the biggest of any organized sport. The horses do most of the work and so a player usually has to change ponies after every 7-minute chukker. That means that each player has many horses, and some pretty deep-pocketed sponsors to pay for them.

It is an extremely complicated sport, with two athletes, the horse and rider, with the rider hitting the ball with a stick down the field without injuring themselves or their horses. The ponies are stunningly beautiful, a cross between Thoroughbred and native Argentinian horses. They are smaller than Thoroughbreds, but the most fit and healthy horses I have ever seen.

McDonald's Auto Mac

2008-11-23T18:51:00.000-08:00

There are many McDonald's in BA (of course). The burgers cost about what they do in the US, which means they are not a bargain, unlike other restaurant meals in BA. However, they always seem to be busy all day long. The menu is pretty similar, but the are some signature items created by some "chef", whose name and picture appear on adverts in the windows. Not sure what those are because I haven't paid a lot of attention. However, I was tempted to eat at McDonald's in Montevideo, Uruguay while waiting for the bus to Punta del Este, because I was curious how the meat tasted. Does it taste better than in the States, as has been true of all the beef I have eaten so far in Argentina? In the end, I decided to eat local and bought some empanadas.

A few weeks ago, I was walking on a major shopping street near my house, Avenida Colonal Diaz, when I was shocked to see a McDonald's drive in, called the "Auto Mac". It made some sense since Diaz is a one-way street, as most in BA are, and carries a lot of traffic. However, the restaurant was busy at about 8 pm but no one was using the drive through. Here are some snaps.

I am in Uruguay

2008-11-19T12:46:00.000-08:00

My consolation for not going to Brazil on this trip (onerous and expensive visa requirements) was to go to Uruguay. My Polish friend Justyna went to Punta del Este and loved it. So, here I am, in Punta del Este for three days. Basically, Punta is a glitzy beach town on the Atlantic Ocean overrun with Argentinians during the summer. There isn´t much to do but walk, sit or snooze on the beach. Hence, there are three bookstores here. I love to sunbathe on the beach, but Marc can´t stand it. So, I waited until Marc left for home before coming here.

Punta is a pretty town, with high rise condos and little beachy bungalows with red tiled roofs. There is a unique smell in the air, but not a strong sea smell. Since it is still spring the crowds haven´t arrived yet, so its quiet. The weather is sunny and warm but breezy. Uruguyans are tremendously friendly and laid back. Drivers stop to let peds cross the street, which never happens in BA. The sun is strong here, however, and with my skin, I can´t stay out for too long. Managed to burn my knees because I forgot to slather them with lotion. Today I took a bus to a village about 10 km from here, called La Barra, where I sat on the beach and watched surfers. Hard to believe that I will be back at work next week. I am trying not to think about it.

Planning in BA

2008-11-17T05:27:00.000-08:00

Part of the reason for my extended stay away from the US was to take a break from work. However, you can't be a professional planner for almost 20 years and not think about things planning, development and design related. I intentionally did not try to contact anyone in my profession down here, as I have done while visiting other places. However, I did meet a planner from Australia who has pursued work as a planner in Buenos Aires. Basically, she found out there isn't such a creature, or at least not one that functions with the kind of independent authority she is seeking.

From what I understand, Buenos Aires does have a general plan, which someone with some professional training must develop (?), but decisions regarding development location, type, etc are largely political. That's because there is not really a professional civil service in Argentina. Those who work in government are largely political appointees and they are not independent of those in power. They also may or may not stay in their positions for a long time, so their interest is largely short term and they may not be qualified for their job. The history of political favoritism in this county is legendary (i.e. there is a history of¨"ghost" employees, who are on the payroll, but rarely or never show up to work). Apparently there are not any private sector planners either. That kind of role is played by architects or developers.

The lack of a professional civil service is really interesting to me, and one I would research were I to have more time down here. Not only does this affect things like urban planning and development approval, but in my opinion it affects the ability of the city to meet its basic infrastructure needs. One of my pet peeves here is the poor condition of the sidewalks and parks. While streets seem to get repaved and repaired, sidewalks and parks are neglected. It is really frustrating to have to always look where you are walking to avoid twisting an ankle from a hole in the sidewalk or a forgotten pile of rubble. When "fixes" are made to sidewalks, work is often done in a shoddy manner, as though it is only temporary. For example, if they patch a missing sidewalk tile with concrete, they don't really smooth it out and they don't keep it barricaded sufficiently, so there are always footprints in it. I believe that professional civic employees are more likely to take a long view and have a sense of ownership than political appointees, thereby resulting in better running of government services. You could argue that political appointees might have a vested interest to be sure that consituents are happy, and carry out the vision of the elected officials. Some city officials in the US, such as Mayor Daley and Mayor Gulliani have made planning and infrastructure improvements a priority for the city. However, if it is not a priority of an elected official or officials, then political appointees are not going to care.

Good ideas

2008-11-17T04:40:00.000-08:00

While strolling about Buenos Aires, I have come across a few ideas that would be great to bring back to Portland. They both involved art and are subsidized by the City of Buenos Aires.

First, there is a practice here of treating public open space as exhibition space. On more than one occasion, I have seen art exhibits in public parks or plazas. Enclosed are pictures of the little park next to the national library. Some exhibits are permanent while some are temporary. This is a great way to bring art to the public, free and outside of an institution. The City of Buenos Aires has also used plazas to display its long-range plans. Something Portland could easily do if the Parks Bureau will allow it. In my observation, the exhibits are popular.

Second, there was a great event a few nights ago, The Night of the Museums (La Noche de los Museos). This is an annual event that occurs in several cities throughout the world. On this night, 120 museums around the city are open between 7 pm and 2 am and provide FREE special exhibitions, tours and/or live events - music, dance, theater, etc. Many buses are free and a shuttle is provided between venues in the same part of town. Marc and I joined a few friends and went to tour the house of tango legend Carlos Gardel. There were also tango concerts in the street in front of the house. Then, we went to some other small museum, where we watched tango shows until 2. We got our tango fix. The crowd in both places was very diverse in age. I couldn't believe that senior citizens could stay up that late. Only in Buenos Aires!

Bariloche

2008-11-15T11:42:00.000-08:00

There aren't many things I would do differently on this Argentina trip. However, I regret not spending more time in the lake district of Patagonia. We spent three nights in Bariloche and they were great. However, I wish we had more time to explore the area. There is something about the alpine landscape that just grabs me. I guess that is why I have lived near mountains for most of the past 25 years. I told Marc that I was ready to move if we could just figure out how to make a living. Hello Oregon lottery.

Buenos Aires was hot and sticky when we left. We took a cushy bus ride and 20 hours (!) later disembarked into cool, crisp, sunny Bariloche. The sky was blue, sunny and almost cloudless the whole time we were there. Mornings were brisk and afternoons warm. Bariloche has a somewhat alpine architecture flavor that reminds me of northern Italy and only sometimes crossed over to goofy. There was an abundance of blooming trees and flowers: lilacs, tulips, lupin and columbines in Bariloche and the villages we hiked through. Oh, and there were mutts lying about everywhere, of course.

We had coffee every afternoon, ate some nice dinners and sampled what is arguably Argentina's best ice cream parlor. But the best part was hiking in the mountains of the Parque Nacional Nahuel Huapi. We are not hard core backpackers, but we found plenty of day hikes that wore us out and took us through beautiful places. Best, most trailheads can be reached by public transportation. It's a popular place to ski and must be stunning there in the winter. The area is also good for fly-fishing, which Marc wanted to try. But renting gear and hiring a guide would have set him back over $300US a day, so he passed.

Seriously, I want to move here.

Last Day in Bariloche

2008-11-14T03:15:00.000-08:00

Today Marc and I board the bus back to BA. We are taking ¨Super Cama¨on this trip - the most luxurious class available on the bus. Its pretty nice and half the price of flying. The down side is that it is a 20 hour bus ride. But they ply you with wine and movies, so its OK. Plus the scenery around northern Patagonia is incredible.

Its hard to blog at the hostel, so we will blog tomorrow about Bariloche and include snaps. It is incredibly beautiful here and I am ready to move.

More Random Observations

2008-11-11T13:55:00.000-08:00

So, we are kicking back in Bariloche this week. Doing some hiking tomorrow. Thought we would share some more random observations of Argentina, especially since Marc is seeing this surreal place with fresh eyes.

1. Laid back dogs. Like the people here, dogs are incredibly mellow. They sit around for hours, sleeping in front of shops, on street corners, in parks. They are in no hurry. Most sleep on their sides, the way dogs sleep when they are most relaxed, or very hot. No owners in site, but the dogs don´t go anywhere. They just hang out. They are friendly if you go up to them, but don´t go out of their way to beg for attention.

2. Pregnant women. Wow, we have observed a lot of pregnant women in Buenos Aires. Very pregnant women. Marc wondered if there was some event of national celebration that occured last February? General end of summer activity? Who knows, but big bellies are everywhere. Interestingly, the word for pregnant in Spanish is embarazada.

3. Banking inconvenience. Because of years of political and economic unstability in Argentina, there is a lot of insecurity surrounding the availability of money. Banking is just not as convenient as it is in the US. For example, there is a limit to the amount of money you can take out of an ATM each day and that amount can fluctuate within a bank and between banks. It generally ranges from between $300-600A (about $100-200US), and there is a lively exchange on expat blogs about which ATMs allow the largest withdrawls. Then, there are just plain weird occurances. Last week, I went to an ATM and no money was available until 4 pm that afternoon. Turns out this was true of all the ATMs in my neighborhood. Don´t know what that was about since my Spanish isn´t good enough to ask anyone, but it delayed my day trip out of town by two hours as I couldn´t get any funds. It is also not uncommon to stand in a very long line at the bank. Yesterday Marc and I stood in line at a bank for 35 minutes to exchange dollars. Some things really make me miss the US and banking is one of them.

Recoleta Cemetary

2008-11-09T05:43:00.000-08:00

Sara: There is no where like it on earth. The Recoleta Cemetary, where Eva Peron is buried, is arguably the world's grandest resting place. The wealthy and powerful were/are buried here and the mausoleums are incredible. We wandered in this little city for over an hour, just gawking. And it is just like a little city, albeit a quiet one. It is laid out in a diagonal grid and has main boulevards, side streets, even dead ends (ha ha), with trees and lampposts along the streets. The mausoleums are like little houses, different sizes and styles. Some elaborate, some restrained, depending on the era or how a family wants express itself to the world. Some cared for, but many cobwebbed and crumbling. Many have side windows and skylights. Even inside, some are like houses, with chairs, curtains on the doors and alters festooned with candles, flowers, pictures. Adding to the domestic nature of the place are all the wild cats that live there.

Marc: The cemetery of Recoleta is a curious sort of village, inhabited by the dead, and visited by the living. As grand as any place I have ever been, in it's diminutive sort of way. It is full of marble, granite, and elaborate sculptures. But it is also terribly tragic, and occasionally resembles an abandoned and ruined city as much as anything else. The typical mausoleum is perhaps eight or ten feet square. Some smaller, some bigger. Most of the structures are designed to be visited; with skylights, an alter, and windowed gates. It is as these meeting places that they are most poignant. Many are still active and well maintained, but when a family loses it's connection to the deceased the structures gradually fall into disrepair. The ceilings collapse, the windows are broken, the gates hang open, caskets are left exposed to the weather. We are left with ruins adjascent to pallaces. What were once a proud monuments, determined to keep the memory of loved ones alive become some of the most compelling embodiments of human transience and the enevitability of decay you will ever see.

Crime is alive and well in BA

2008-11-08T03:09:00.000-08:00

You read a lot about the pick pocketing occurring in BA. Its a big city and there is a lot of economic disparity since the crash of 2001. So, we watch where we put our wallets and keep credit cards and excess cash in the safe in our apartment. We just didn't think about cameras and Marc had his stolen out of its case during rush hour on the subway yesterday. He is a bit surprised since he kept it in front of his chest the whole time, and we had been on the subway several times during the day. Since everyone is pressed together like sardines, you would think you would feel someone stealing your camera. But I guess not. So, you have been warned.

Marc is bummed, not because the camera was a very good one, because it wasn't, but because he feels taken advantage of. We should have put it in my bag, but neither thought of it. Downer.

Marc is here!!!

2008-11-06T10:22:00.000-08:00

Marc arrived in BA late this morning. We had a great pizza lunch and strolled around the neighborhood some. Now he is taking a nap. On our way back from lunch, we passed this building, painted an audacious magenta. Marc says "Wow. I don't think it was originally like that."

Incredible!

2008-11-04T21:39:00.000-08:00

Its 3:30 am and I just got in - exhausted, sweaty, famished and hoarse. Several friends and I were at a bar for 6 hours watching CNN election results on the big screen, and we stayed until after Obama addressed us. Its pretty amazing to see history being made right before your eyes, no? Its surreal to be witnessing it from another country, surrounded by friends from around the world, who are just as astonished and elated as we Americans are. It was an emotional night and very meaningful to have these friends watching with us, and hugging and kissing all in congratulations. It seemed one giant group hug (and kiss, as this is Latin America). I forget just how big an influence the United States has on the world - for better or worse - until I get out of the country. This election had the attention of everyone, not just Americans, because everyone has a stake in the outcome.

By the way, Jeremy here with the flag, is from Cape Town, South Africa. He is a friend of a friend. He was so excited about this election, he bought several of us beers.

Palermo Parks

2008-11-03T03:51:00.000-08:00

There is so much to say about the parks in this city, more than I can put in one post. So, there will probably be several. For a city of 3 million people, most living in apartments or other attached housing, open and green space is necessary. And well-used. I am amazed at how popular BA's parks are, every day of the week, but especially on the weekends. They look well-loved, too. Many could use a whopping dose of maintenance, but I imagine with a metro area of 14 million using these parks, it can be pretty tough to keep up everything.

BA has its own Central Park (or Washington Park/Forest Park), a VERY large expanse of green near the center of the city that provides a host of activities for Portenos of all ages and interest. It is in the Palermo neighborhood and is within walking distance of my flat. Actually, it is a series of several parks and public venues all linked, including a rose garden, a Japanese garden, a zoo, a botanical garden, a horse race track, a polo field, a soccer complex, a planetarium, a small art museum (with outdoor cafe), several plazas and a park with a lake and lagoon. There are roads and paths choked with walkers, runners, cyclers, rollerbladers and skateboarders. Also, you can rent paddle boats in which to putter around the lagoon. Vendors sell grilled meat (of course) and people picnic. I even saw someone fishing in one of the lakes. On a sunny spring day like last Sunday, everybody was out: young, old, families, lovers, groups of friends. Apparently at night a part of the park becomes the transvestite red light district. The only thing I didn't see was a frisbee (or a transvestite).

In addition to this big complex, Palermo has several smaller parks, plazas, monuments and plazoletos (small plazas) scattered about. Many are ringed with cafes and ice cream parlors. Interestingly, you don't find many plazas in front of churches or cathedrals, like you do in Italy. Actually, you don't see many cathedrals or churches as you might expect in a largely Catholic country. One very popular park is Plaza Palermo Viejo, which was packed with families on Friday night. While some of BA's plazas contain contemplative green spaces (usually with some monument or statue), this one is jam packed with areas for kids: a merry go round and two fenced play areas.

If I have nothing to do on a Friday or Saturday night, I just go stroll to a local park or plaza with my book and read for a while or buy an ice cream and people watch. It is one of my favorite things to do here in BA in the evening.

Tigre

2008-11-02T05:26:00.000-08:00

Still a bit of this bug in me so I have been staying close to home these last few days. Last weekend, however, I went on a day trip to Tigre and the Parana river delta. The trip was organized by the South American Explorer's BA office. About 15 of us went on the trip. If you are traveling in and around South America, it might be worth it to join this organization. They are a good resource for the traveler in terms of providing assistance or information and they organize trips and events.

The Parana river delta and the city of Tigre remind me of bits of Amsterdam, Venice and the Everglades at the same time. Basically there are hundreds of lush channels on which summer houses are built on stilts. Some people do live here full time, and during the military dictatorship it was a refuge for those with different political views. Apparently there is also a strong gay population in the delta.

The houses are only accessible by boat. Vaporetto-type boats or private watercraft provide transport. Also some people motor their yachts up the channels for the day or weekend. Tigre is the only city in this area and is where the boats start and end. We traveled into the delta for 1.5 hours before stopping at a property owned by a club. There we hung out for the afternoon and ate a barbecue lunch. Very relaxing. The girls in the picture are my friends Justyna from Poland and Celine from France. While there, I strolled the property and noticed all the different plants and birds. So exciting to come across new flora and fauna. Since it is spring, some plants are blooming and smelling wonderful.

I'm sick

2008-10-31T13:03:00.000-07:00

It was bound to happen, I guess. After spending so much time in close proximity to people, on the subway, city buses and long-distance buses, etc, I came down with a touch of the flu or something. At first I thought it was the biggest hangover ever, as I went out for a late dinner Wednesday night that included lots of red wine. I hit my bed at 1:30 pm and by 4:30 I woke up with the biggest headache of my life. Then I threw up. More headache, more throwing up, etc. Anyway, by noon, I was still suffering from headache and nauseous stomach, so figured it was more than a hangover. Marc doesn't believe me and thinks its a huge hangover.

So, I spent all of yesterday in bed, reading or watching TV. I have cable here at the apartment, so I watched lots of CNN and BBC. There is even a German news channel and, just for yucks, I watched that for about 30 minutes. Then, Sex and the City was on, thankfully in English, and they were episodes I had never seen before. Most of the TV shows and movies from the US are dubbed. My Spanish is not good enough to understand much, and something is really lost in dubbing. Imagine Austin Powers without Mike Meyer's voice. I just can't do it.

So, while watching all this TV, I got caught up on all the sports news, which of course means soccer news: Beckham going to Milan on loan and Diego Maradonna, a deity in Argentina, coaching the Argentine soccer team. There was a mention of Philadelphia winning the World Series, which BBC noted as an ironic name since the only teams playing are from North America.

Feeling better today, but still not straying far from home. I should be in good shape tomorrow.

El Micro

2008-10-29T10:12:00.001-07:00

Astonishingly, there are few trains in Argentina. Apparently the British set up quite a nice system when they were down here for commercial pursuits in the 19th and 20th centuries. However, in the 1990s, Argentinian leaders let it fall into disarray. Now, from BA, there are only a handful of places you can get to by train. Most folks travel long distances by bus (el micro),of which there are several companies to choose from. We are NOT talking Greyhound. These buses are nice, nice, nice. There are 5 classes to choose from with class 1 being the best. I took the Semi-cama (class 3, cost about$52 US) out to Mendoza and Cama (class 2, cost about $66) back to BA, a difference of $14 US and well worth the upgrade. They feed you pretty good meals on the bus and the seats recline, much more than on an airplane. In Cama, you get wine with dinner, plusher seats that recline farther back and two movies at night. I was elated that one of them was The Motorcycle Diaries, which was filmed in South America. I don't know which was more beautiful, the landscape or Gael Garcia Bernal's face. I love this movie.

On the way back to BA, I sat next to Veronica, an Argentinian woman about my age. She spoke less English than I did Spanish and I certainly didn't understand everything she said. But, we became acquainted and enjoyed laughing about how bad our English or Spanish was. The benefit of traveling by yourself is that you are given the opportunity to interact with folks that you would not if you had a companion. It took me out of my comfort zone to speak what little Spanish I could, but it was fun and my Spanish improves each time I speak.

Mendoza

2008-10-29T07:50:00.000-07:00

Got back into town late this morning from my little excursion to Mendoza. It was nice to get out of town for a few days and explore something different from BA. Imagine that you just spent 2.5 weeks in San Francisco or New York, you took a comfy overnight bus for 14 hours across the lush-turning-to-arid plains and woke up in.....Boulder. That's what it was like pulling into Mendoza. It's laid back, civilized, very green, and has good transit, a university, a central pedestrian mall and a mountain range for a backdrop. I love the fact that the sidewalks are very wide and tree-lined, unlike BA, where you negotiate crowded 3-foot sidewalks on most streets. Interestingly, more folks speak English in Mendoza than BA (I mean in relation to population of course). I think it is due to the emphasis on tourism in Mendoza.

I indulged in a few wine-related activities. Monday evening, I went to a wine tasting room called Vines of Mendoza. Its right downtown. I sat at a bar and ordered a flight of Malbec, the famous wine of Argentina. My "guide" Marcella, who spoke flawless English, presented each one and told me about them. To keep my wits about me, I ordered a cheese plate, which turned out to be enough for two and pretty much became my dinner. The wines ranged from a young wine, only 3 months in an oak barrel, to one that spent 10 months in the barrel + some time it he bottle. Argentinian wines are generally not to be kept in the bottle for more than something like 4 or 5 years I believe. They are to be drunk young. I enjoyed them all, some more than others. Other patrons at the bar included an American couple from Arizona and honeymooners from Toronto. We all chatted a bit. Also, I spoke with Marcella about Argentinian politics. That's a post all its own, so we will leave that for another time. A wonderful evening.

The other activity was a do-it-yourself wine tour by bike, which I recommend for the intrepid and patient. I kept imagining it would be like that Globe Trekker episode where Justine bikes through bucolic, rural France. I did have an experience like that visiting the first vineyard, a pretty stucco building which included a museum, called Bodega La Rural. Biking on a tree-lined road past vineyards made me grin from ear to ear! After that, it was riding long distances between posts on a busy street which didn't mark the vineyards very well. At least, there were bike paths on this busy street. I decided I wanted to see a large, more commercial facility that was farther away, but marked on a map I had received from the city of Mendoza. Well, the map didn't have all the streets on it, I lost the map I got from the bike people and to make a long story short, I got lost. I eventually got to that other vineyard, Bodegas Lopez, but the only tour going was in Spanish. So, that one was kind of a bust, but an adventure nevertheless. And adventure is what it is all about, right? So, I got to see both boutique and commercial bodegas, and try their wines. If you want to do this, but don't want to get lost and want lunch included, there is a guided tour offered as well. It costs more, of course, than just renting a bike.

A Little Jaunt

2008-10-26T13:38:00.000-07:00

So, my computer network was down yesterday and much of today, so I couldn't post. Tonight, I am taking the sleeper bus to Mendoza, Argentina's wine country, for a few days away from the city. My computer is staying in my apartment, locked in the closet. So, I might not post for a few days, or I might post but not include photos until I get back.

Chau (as they spell it here).

Museo de Arte Latinoamericano de BA (MALBA)

2008-10-24T11:29:00.000-07:00

With so much to explore in BA, museums have not been at the top of my list. The two museums I visited, the Museo Nacional de Belles Artes and the Museo de Nacional Art Decorativo, left me unimpressed. However, Wednesday I went to MALBA and was blown away.

Until my visit, my only acquaintance with Latin American art was that of Diego Rivera (thumbs up) and Frieda Kahlo (yeesh). Blessedly, MALBA only has one Kahlo in its permanent collection. MALBA focuses on 20th century and contemporary work by Latin American artists. Currently, it is showing the work of a Cuban-American, Felix Gonzales-Torres. But the permanent collection is what really got me. I was introduced to surreal Argentinian artist Xul Solar and fell in love with a contemporary artist named Alberto Greco. Lots of energy in this art, and I don't just mean color. Its very dynamic. The permanent collection is not large, which means you can see and digest it all in a short amount of time. No eyes glazing over!

No photos are allowed in the museum, but there is a beautiful outdoor room which contained a billboard by Gonzales-Torres. Interestingly, this museum is the only one in BA to be housed in a building specifically built as a museum. The others are in buildings which were originally built for some other use. MALBA was completed in 2001 and designed, via a competition, by a young Argentinian firm. Its a beautiful building.

Shopping

2008-10-22T14:37:00.000-07:00

Notice that I didn't title this Shopping, Part I. That's because there is not going to be a lot of shopping on this trip. It is bad enough that half of this holiday is unpaid and that I have to pay to sleep, travel and eat for seven weeks down here, without me spending on stuff, especially stuff for me. However, as always happens, while shopping for others, I found something for me. But first, a word about prices down here.

The rumor is that Buenos Aires is a bargain. I am sorry to tell you that this is no longer true. BA used to be the most expensive city in South America until the economic crash of 2001. The peso was badly devalued and the city became a bargain for tourists. However, annual inflation of approximately 8% a year (I have seen some figures higher, some lower)has increased prices quite a bit since the crash. So, despite the dollar now being the strongest it has been in five years, annual inflation means BA is no longer a bargain. Nevertheless, I would say that prices are generally lower than they are in major cities in the States. Restaurant meals here are pretty inexpensive, though you can manage to spend a lot here, as anywhere. For example, breakfast of a couple of rolls and coffee sets me back between $2 and $4US. Lunch costs about me $4-$6US and dinner from $10 on up, more with wine. Leather goods are especially well priced here (Christmas presents, anyone?). My studio apartment (w/weekly maid service) in a middle class neighborhood next to shopping and the subway is $685 a month. A transit ride is about $.30.

So, back to shopping. I have been dazzled by the beauty of tango shoes and have been looking around at various tango-shoe stores - there are many here, each making exquisite handmade shoes. No, I don't tango, but I liked the idea of beautiful and comfortable heels for dress up. On my way to a tango-shoe store, I stopped at an upper end shopping mall, the Galerias Pacifica. There, while window shopping for gifts, I went into Rossi Y Caruso, a high-quality leather store, and fell in love with a very elegant (and comfortable) pair of handmade brown lizard heels. While not cheap ($225), they are quite a bit cheaper than I would pay in the States, so....hello brown lizard heels!

They also make beautiful riding boots and I could use a new pair....

Vicarious Travel

2008-10-21T17:41:00.000-07:00

I created this blog primarily for me, as a creative outlet as well as a travel diary. Secondly, I thought that it would be a good way to keep in touch with Marc and my parents, something to round out Skype. Many of you have written to me to say that you have enjoyed the blog. I am so glad, thanks! I have also enjoyed hearing from you.

If travel blogs interest you, I have two to share. The first is from Michele Reeves and her husband Tom. Many of you know Michele, a former commercial broker in Portland. She and Tom are doing a very brave and cool thing. They and their two young daughters have dismantled their life in Portland for at least a year of adventure in Buenos Aires. You might be interested in their blog. You can find it on the right hand column of this page. I can't seem to imbed it here.

Also, my friend Gretchen is spending 8 months living, eating, traveling and painting in Italy and Spain. You can follow her blog as well, again on the right.

The world is so small. It is amazing to be able to keep in regular touch with folks on other continents.

More Belgrano

2008-10-20T13:57:00.000-07:00

Here are more shots of Belgrano. If you need a closer look at the photos, just click on them. They should get bigger (maybe too big - I will work on that). Also, I don't have any photo software on my laptop, so I can't manipulate them as I would like. Perhaps I will work on that.

Belgrano By Bus

2008-10-20T13:22:00.000-07:00

Today I decided to go back to Belgrano and explore. I had visited this neighborhood last Friday night, when I went to a classical guitar concert that featured music by Marc's grandfather. Belgrano is an upper middle-class, residential neighborhood. Since it is just outside of the Capital Federale, it is considered a suburb. However, it is not a suburb in the US sense. While it does feature many homes built in the first two decades of last century, there are also a lot of post-WWII high rises. It has fewer shopping streets than other parts of BA, so it is more residential in feel. There are many schools and some parks. I wandered in an especially elegant part of Belgrano for several hours. School had just let out so the sidewalks were flooded with kids just out of school.

Belgrano is accessible by subway. However, due to some dysfunction, the subway car I jumped into today wasn't running. We waited for many minutes for the door to close and the car to move. Then, a muffled voice came on the loudspeaker: "Mwah, mwah ma, wa wa mwah wa!" Obviously, I had no clue what the problem was, so I just followed the other passengers who disembarked with frustration. "Hmmm," I thought. "What to do now?" I could go back to my flat and study, or I could try to take.... the bus. The bus is a whole topic all by itself, and so I will get into it in a later post. I will say now that it is very complicated and I have been very intimidated to take it with limited Spanish. Yet, because I had bought a bus guide this weekend and I had it in my purse, I managed to actually take the bus to Belgrano. Hooray!

So, here are my shots of Belgrano. By the way, I am enchanted with the school buses and vans here. They are orange with white roofs. They are adorable.

The Subway

2008-10-17T14:11:00.000-07:00

Like all major cities, BA has a subway system. Its called the Subte. Its a typical subway system: quick, convenient and super crowded. Like New York, BA is now using paper tickets rather than tokens. I live three blocks from the subway and I use it several times each day. Unfortunately, I need to use it in the morning to get to school, so I am part of the rush-hour crush. On Fridays, it seems that the crush lasts all afternoon and well into the evening.

Also, like many cities, BA's subway was built at different times and the stations reflect the technology, civic wealth and aesthetics of the era in which they were built. The subway was originally built in 1913 and was the first built in South America. The line by my apartment, the "D" line, seems to have been the latest to have been built (the system is now privately run). You can access both tracks from all subway entrances (not possible on all lines), ride on new cars and wait in functional stations in good condition. The walls are plain, but the floor is a beautiful red herringbone tile. Actually all the floors are of this tile. Of all the lines I have ridden so far, the "C" line has the most beautiful stations, though they are a bit shabby. The stations on this route have beautiful Moorish-style tiled walls and tiled murals.

My only complaint about the subway is that it closes before 11 pm. Not sure why it closes so early in a city that stays out all night. It is a drag to go out somewhere only to have to take a taxi home because the subway no longer runs. Good reason for me to learn to use the bizarre bus system. I'll let you know how that goes.

Oh, according to Michele Reeves, a fellow Portlander now living in BA, the subway is not free on holidays. The government hasn't minted enough coins, so when the subway runs low on coins (to make change for people buying tickets), they have to just let everyone ride for free.

Steak, Part I

2008-10-15T20:22:00.000-07:00

Why Part I? Well, because after tonight, there will be more postings about steak. Argentina is all about beef. Somewhere I read a statistic that Argentina beef consumption is something like 10 times that of the USA. When one of my work colleagues found out I was taking my vacation in Argentina, his response was "Do you like meat?"

I have just eaten the most amazing-tasting steak ever. I think I could eat this steak every night for the rest of my life. I would if I were Argentinian. The restaurant is located in my favorite BA neighborhood, San Telmo. It is called El Des Nivel and it is a traditional steak house, popular with tourists (they don't take credit cards, I found out). But don't let that scare you because, tourist or not, you are going to have the steak of your life. You have to order vegetables separately, but, depending on what you order, your meat may come with potatoes. I went for the straight-up tenderloin, the most expensive thing on the menu but still a bargain at $10 USD. The 1/4 litre wine and roasted red peppers and tip added another, $5+USD.

There ain't nothing like cows fattened on rich grass in the Pampas. Lean and sublime tasting. It almost cut like butta. We eat grass-fed beef at home, but it doesn't taste this good.

Next time I go, I will take a picture for you.

First Day of School

2008-10-14T16:38:00.000-07:00

Today I started Spanish class at the IBERO Spanish School. Yesterday was a holiday, so classes started today. There are many, many Spanish schools down here, and I chose this one based on recommendations from blogs and guidebooks. One thing I like about the school is that they organize activities, like dinners, films and field trips.

The class reflects the demographic of most travellers I have met and seen here: young and carefree. My class includes students from Europe, the UK, the US and Australia. They are all in their 20s, some right out of university, with one couple looking to be in their early 30s. I was getting a little lonely by myself and it is nice to meet and converse with folks. But it is a bit odd to not meet anyone my age. I organized a group to go to lunch afterward, in a nearby cafe. It was during that lunch that I realized that people in their 20s don't really know what to say to someone so much older than they and someone who is married. My ego was bruised for about a minute and then I remembered what it was like when I was in my early 20s and found myself in social situations with someone almost my parents' age. It was weird and awkward, at least at first. Nevertheless, I am meeting several of them tonight to go salsa dancing.

One other thing I observed from my class. Those of us who have already learned a language (we were asked this in class) have a definite advantage. We know what it is like to learn words that have masculine and feminine articles, something blessedly absent from English. We know what it is like to conjugate verbs, whose endings depend on the articles. For some reason, the Aussies in my class are having a particularly difficult time. None of them had ever learned another language.

Random Observations

2008-10-13T15:42:00.000-07:00

OK, I am feeling under the weather today, so I am just going to start listing some random observations:

Sunblock is expensive here.
The couple in the jeans, hiking shoes, fanny packs and Columbia Sportswear jackets next to me on the subway were......French!
The subway appears to be free on holidays.
There are a lot of French tourists here. So far, I have observed tourists from Israel, Australia, Scandinavia, France, Germany, USA, Brazil and Japan.
Women here do not wearing skirts, but pants. Younger women seem to all be wearing jeans - skinny or fashion.
Older men and women dress very well here. Younger men and women in the smarter parts of town do too.
Just as the guidebooks say, men in BA are metrosexuals and pretty good looking.
Not a lot of fat folks here; no one obese, at the most chubby.
McDonalds seems to be quite popular here. I wonder if their beef is from Argentina.
Portenos, young (i.e. strollers) and old do stay up very late.
According to the BA Herald Tribume, Argentina will begin requiring tourist visas starting in January 2009. OK, that wasn't an observation, exactly.

Bergman + Empanadas

2008-10-12T18:40:00.000-07:00

Call me crazy, but I went to see a Bergman film this evening, Wild Strawberries, or Cuando Huye El Dia, as it is known here, or Smultronstallet (say that three times) as it is known in Sweden. I will spare you the reasons why except to say that the cinema was conveniently located near a subway stop, which is good after dark. It was in Swedish with Spanish subtitles, which is hilarious if you think about it because my comprehension of Swedish and Spanish is about the same. On one hand, it is a pity to not know the dialogue because Bergman's films are not extremely literal, so you don't know exactly what is going on. On the other hand, it is a Bergman film, so you can enjoy it's big themes and not have to worry about petty stuff like dialogue and story line. It was actually a great way to see Bergman.

I have only seen a handful of Bergman movies, but, even without knowing the dialogue, I gathered the typical Bergman themes: dreams, reminiscence, family (particularly childhood), lost love, fear of death, fear of life, the tedium and disappointments of bourgeois life in Sweden, and redemption. Also, it contained the usual symbolism: natural landscapes, tolling bells, storm clouds, beautiful young women and aging men. Also, there was a road trip involved. While I know this sounds flip, I did enjoy the film very much even if it was a lot to mentally digest, as I find Bergman intimidating.

Then, I went to a neighborhood joint for empanadas, ubiquitous Latin American food. Through a miscommunication with the waiter, I ended up with two mozzarella/tomato empanadas instead of one chicken and one mozzarella. They were good, but heavy, especially at 10 pm at night. A lot to literally digest.

Ice Cream

2008-10-11T15:52:00.000-07:00

Those who know me well know that I love ice cream. The guidebooks say that BA has some of the finest ice cream in the world, due to all the Italian immigration that has occurred here. Many of you will not believe this, but I didn't have any ice cream until my SECOND day here. I haven't really been craving sweets lately. Before I left home, I cut sugar out of my life in an effort to lose 5 lbs. I lost that weight (keeping it off is another matter) and in the process my craving for sweets.

However, yesterday, at about 6 pm, after walking all around the parks in Palermo, I was feeling a bit peckish. As luck would have it, there is a heladeria (ice creamery) half a block from my flat. It is not a chain, but rather a single shop that produces helados artesanales. I don't speak Spanish yet, but some things are clear in any language, like chocolate with almonds and dulce le leche (OK, that IS Spanish). My Mt. Everest of a cone cost seven pesos, roughly $2.50US. It was fabulous. Better than anything in the states, but not as good as I remember in Italy.

Unfortunately, there is just no way to avoid this heladeria, as it is on my way to and from the subway and the main shopping street, Avenida Santa Fe.

Dogs

2008-10-10T21:17:00.000-07:00

Like all big cities, you see dogs on the streets and in the parks in BA. Chihuahuas to Bernese. You also see lots of dog walkers. I have seen them orchestrate up to eight at one time, so far. There is a park about six blocks from my house, and it is packed with dogs in the evening. Like Paris, you also see dog poop, or dog "dirt" as my grandfather used to call it, EVERYWHERE. No one picks up. So, the parks smell like dog dirt, and you have to definately watch where you walk.

So, today, on my way to the polo grounds (no polo matches today, I just wanted to know where to go when..), I passed a park called Plaza Seeber. It really isn't a plaza, but a giant quasi-grassy dog park. There wasn't a human around except for dog walkers. It must be some kind of official dog park. The park has stakes in the ground at regular intervals that dogs are tied to, usually two at a time. So, around each stake is a dirt circle where the dogs have worn the grass down. There is also a fenced area where people let their dog play. But since there are no humans in sight, it is as though they just tie them up for an hour or a day and come back and get them later. Remarkable.

Porteno (Portena?)

2008-10-10T13:52:00.000-07:00

The last 30 hours have been very exciting and challenging. After arriving in Buenos Aires two and a half hours late, I got into my apartment around noon yesterday. After being shown around, I was on my own. Okayyyyy. It took me a while to get the internet connection. Then, I couldn't get the elevator to work, so I decided to just always take the stairs - I am only on the 2nd floor. Then, this morning, after going to the grocery store, it took me a while to get the stove working to make espresso. This stove requires a flame, but I couldn't find any matches. Drat, I love my morning espresso. Then I found one of those flaming gizmos, the kind we use for barbeques. Yes! Finally, espresso. The washer and dryer are on the 8th floor of the building, by the terrace, which is lovely. However, I don't know how to work the elevator, so I guess I will walk up.....

Preparations

2008-10-06T09:15:00.000-07:00

Wow. After planning this trip for over a year, I can't believe that I am leaving on a plane in 48 hours. A seven-week trip abroad takes a lot of planning and preparation. Not since I went to study in Germany 25 years ago have I had to prepare for such a long time somewhere. I can't imagine preparing for this trip while working full time. Taking several weeks of vacation before leaving was worth it.

So, on this trip I decided to bring my laptop, since I have wifi in my apartment in Buenos Aires. My god, what a lot of work this has required. I mean, my laptop has never gone out of my house before, let alone on a plane and to another continent. So, I had to back up data, remove data, buy firewall coverage, download skype, badger Marc to download skype on his laptop, get a headset, get an adapter, go to a cafe up the street to be sure I know how to log on, and finally, set up this blog.