Last days in Buenos Aires

So Andrea and I are finally moving on from la Capital Federal. It´s been a fantastic adventure and especially enjoyable having visitors stay with us. I don´t think I will loose my way in this city if I ever have the chance to return; surely by now we can be considered honorary Porteñas. We´ve cheered at soccer matches, know the markets of Recoleta and San Telmo backwards and forwards, devoured more than our fair share of chocolate mousse torte, mastered the bus system, found our favorite bars, danced the drum circles to shame, and acquired decent enough porteño accents. Time to try something new? Yes.

Now we are off to explore wine country (Mendoza), the glaciers (Calafate and Ushuaia), and the lake district (Bariloche) before crossing into Chile to begin farming again... yeah remember that´s why we set off on this adventure to begin with? I hardly do at this point.

Also, just fyi, I have updated 3 new posts including new photos of Iguazu Falls. You should check all of them out. It´s been quite a trip.

Some freaky kind of creature we found in the park. I thought it was cool.

Delicious provoleta cheese at Restaurante Norte.

A pretty good steak in Buenos Aires, also at Restaurante Norte. My favorite was actually from this rinky-dink, no-name, hole-in-the-wall place, though. (Thanks to Tio Coco for that lunch!)
Argentino Juniors stadium in Paternal where we lived with Tio Coco. This was where we watched Argentino Juniors kick Hucucan´s sorry butts. 5-1 Eat your hearts out Hurucan!!!

Who the hell is Joaquin Sabina?

The pulse of the heart of latin american folk music beats steadily to the tune of thousands of ecstatic fans chanting "Ole ole ole ole, Joaquin, Joaquin".  The man in the bowler hat who, staring wide-eyed and beaming into the faces of his adorers, tips the brim in humble salute and gesture of gratitude; perhaps the most sincerest thank-you a performer has ever bestowed his audience.  You are there packed into the grandest stadium within Buenos Aires proper along with countless thousand other Portenos, beholding one of the most revered and respected musical geniuses of this time, and yet the distance and dimension is not estranging.  You feel close to the music and the emotion and the man-- as if you were merely down at the local pub enjoying a round with your buddy, Joaquin, reminiscing those good ol' days singing your favorite songs.

Flood lights focused on the stage, the crowd becomes a black mass, an abyss save for the twinkling of spots from lighters and flashlights raised in homage to the legend standing before them.  They resemble patterns of dazzling constellations, as if Sabina were singing for the cosmos.  Suddenly the light doubles back onto the masses to reveal the surge of fists pounding the air in unison, bodies jumping like sparks of static across the floor.  An earthquake couldn't shake the columns and stands as fiercely as the passion exuded from this crowd.

If you cannot tell by now, I am in complete awe of this man and the performance he delivers.  I had never seen an artist captivate an audience so completely and charismatically as I did tonight at Boca Stadium. 
This is Joaquin Sabina.

(Oh, and by the way, we got in for free. hehe.)

Last night in BA for now...

Just a quick update with some images of the planetarium at night and the drum circle performance.

In and around Buenos Aires, or Somethings Silly

Just some funny happenings in and around BA these days. Liza leaves Tuesday and then Andrea and I head north to Iguazu Falls and Cordoba for a few weeks.


She says "sí!"

I threw this photo in with the rest for this blog post just because it amuses me. Liza and I finally found a burger joint near the apartment. I had been craving a hamburger for the past 3 months. We had no trouble finishing our dinner quite obviously.

Various ketchup packets were, however, harmed in the making of this feast. I think 27 casualties in total. But it was delish!

This flower is actually a practical (well more or less practical) art installation. The petals open and close with the sunlight, so sort of like a funky sundile you could say.

Family friends took us out and around BA New Years day. This is a pedestrian bridge in Puerto Madero. I think it´s called Puente de Mujer. Every street in this district is named after a famous Argentinian woman.

Fanciest Stella Artois I´ve ever ordered. This restuarant is called Palacio de las Papas, or Potato Palace, just fyi.

These flowers are everywhere! I also recently learned that they aquire their color depending on the acidity of the soil.

A fair we passed in the riverboat ride while visiting El Tigre just outside of BA.

Cuartitos Pizzaria, aka best pizza in Buenos Aires. We devoured the fugazetta (cheese and onion pizza, a staple here in BA) and most of the Atomic. We learned it ain´t called Atomic for no reason. Definitely the spiciest pizza I´ve ever eaten. Next time we´re sticking with the Napolitana.

Buenos Aires in photos

Liza finally arrived! We devour chocolate cakes together. She´s a beast.

Ana, Andrea, and Liza touring the cemetary in Recoleta. Evita (Eva Perón) and Porteño aristocracy rest in peace here.

(More cemetary)

Well, I´d call this a pretty incredible tree. What say you?

Just a taste of La Boca...

This man makes faces in spoons.

Downtown BA.

Interactive Museum Adventure

Andrea finds a more practical solution to our vagabond lifestyle.

Not only am I learning castellano, but I am also learning how to be a better dinosaur in BA.

Alright alright, I promise a real update soon.

La Bella Buenos Aires

Life is tranquil in Buenos Aires.  We've been to Milongas to watch tango dancing, introduced Tio Coco to Manu Chao live in concert, visited museums for the art scenes, street markets, and the color-filled neighborhood of "Boca".  Today we received a private tour of the Botanical Gardens from a friend of Tio Coco's, Mariano, who is a professor here in BA.  Weather has been as fickle as in Texas, warm and sunny by afternoon but by twilight the wind begins to chill and come night fall you need a jacket.  Every other day it seems to rain a good thunderstorm rain, conducive for renting movies and being a homebody.  I feel less like a tourist here and more like a Porteña... though I have yet to acquire the Argentine accent.  It's nice to blend in for once and make a home-away-from-home.

Mariano (left) with Tio Coco (right) in one of the greenhouses.

This link is for your amusement, apropos of nothing.  Just a beautiful song Tio Coco showed us on youtube. The lyrics are from a poem written by Jose Goytisolo, I believe (please correct me if I'm wrong):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7Zsb0Y8Tpg

This link is another beautiful song by the amazing Spanish singer, songwriter, and poet, Joaquin Sabina:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tX7Ffg2Ass

Andrea and I are trying to buy tickets for his concert in BA this January.  Funny story... Apparently one of our friends in Lima went out one night to meet some friends for drinks after work.  He arrives, orders a beer at the bar, and notices a slight commotion across the room.  Over in the corner there's a wildly looking man, obviously drunk, hammering away on a piano and belting out folk songs.  Our curious friend, of course, stands up and crosses the room to take a look at the night's entertainment.
Just so happens it was the infamous Joaquin Sabina, enjoying his evening like any other regular joe.  Or so the story goes.

Miss you all, love you tons.

From Buenos Aires, with love

Two countries down already, two more to conquer.  After a three day long adventure traveling via bus from Lima to Buenos Aires, we finally arrived last Tuesday.  Surprisingly the ride itself was less painful than anticipated... well as painless as a 3-day 3-night stint in a coach bus could prove to be.  We've traversed the Atacama Desert.  We survived the Peru-Chile and Chile-Argentina boarder crossings.  We even managed to feed ourselves for 3 days with only 25 soles split two ways... roughly the equivalent of 8 US dollars.

All in all, a grand experience.
And thank goodness were in BA now.

Here are some photos Andrea's taken in the meantime.  

Plaza de Armas at night in Lima, Peru.

A view in Cusco, Peru.

Rose garden (sigh) at Qorikancha in Cusco, Peru.

The infamous 12-angle stone.  Inca power!

Plaza de Armas in Cusco, Peru.  It's rumored that if you sleep here, you will acquire super-power energies... so the crazy hippy tourists sleeping on the benches... well, they're still crazy hippy tourists... with SUPER POWERS!
Also, I only ever want to live in cities with plazas from now on.  Get on it already, US.

Also, Happy belated Thanksgiving everyone.  I'm thankful to have family and friends as amazing as y'all, who continue to send me love and support from the upside-down hemisphere.  :)

I love you all, miss y'all tons.