Don't Cry for Me Argentina

I'm back!

Buenos Aires was lovely!!! I can't believe I'm back to this cold and dreary place and left the warm and deliciously perfect weather in Argentina (it is their spring), girls in tank tops and mini skirts everywhere.

Having only three days in this exciting city of South America (we work for airline, which means free flights but little to no vacation), my friend and I tried to cram as much as we could in without getting tired or bored on monuments.

Our first day there we stayed in the heart of downtown Buenos Aires, a bit like Times Square. It was perfect, letting us explore but not getting us lost. We had fun trying to cross 9 de Julio Avenue, Buenos Aires's 12 lane main street. Pay attention to the crosswalk signs or you'll nearly get yourself killed (as I did, I tell you, getting hit by a car will be how I die). Saw the Plaza de Mayo, took pictures in front of the Pink House, the president's house, which is where Eva Peron gave her speeches and where Madonna sang for the movie Evita. Also it is in this square that the mothers of Plaza de Mayo march, demanding to know what happened to their children, teenagers or young adults who disappeared during the, "dirty wars" of the 1970's (which ps no one in Argentina mentions). Spent hours at dinner that first night, just sitting in this busy resturant, taking everything in (just like Italy, they don't rush you to finish your meal here)...it was so much fun!!

Second day was jam packed. Moved to our second hotel in the Recolata area (posh section of town). On a side note, turns out the reason hotels were scare in BsAs (they Argentinian way of abbreviating their capital city), was that Brazil was having school holidays. Sheesh, didn't they know I was coming and would need a room?!

Right, on the second day, we stopped into the Recolata cemetary where Ms. Eva Peron is buried as well as many other lumaneries and well-to-do people of Buenos Aires. It is creepy walking around all those masoleums, each with their own section for relatives to come and pray in (say rosaries or something I suppose). I felt like I was in the show "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" and was happy to leave. In the evening we went to a tango show and finally got to eat our steak. Heaven, those Argentians know their beef! Perfectly flavored and cooked. I could eat steak everyday if I lived in Argentina. The dancing and singing in the tango show was fantastic - you watch those gorgeous girls in fishnet stocking and black flowing gowns and drop dead handsome men on the stage and want to get up yourself and dance! They make it look so easy.

Last day in BsAs, we shopped! Went to two fairs, San Telmo and Recolata. It seemed everyone else in BsAs had the same idea. Mad fun though weaving through the crowds (beware of the dog dodo though, it is the one big downside to BsAs, no enforcement of pooper scooper laws, very gross!). Got tango shoes, skirt, a ton of purses. Much to much shopping, I left the city with only $20 in my purse. Flying out on stand-by, of course always a nightmare, but glad we made it out (since I only had $20 left).

Flying to go to Buenos Aires, I should have taken a sleeping pill as soon as you got on the flight, cause it was VERY turbulent (lots of tropical storms over South America). At one point even I started praying (and I usually don't cause I'm use to turbulance).

Buenos Aires is a lovely city, a mix of styles and cultures, European, Spanish, Indian, even some traces of USA creeping in. The city reminded me a bit of India, just with a lot less people. Everyone there was so nice. If you go, you must know some Spanish. Thankfully my five years in grade school helped out a great deal. It is amazing how much of a language will come back to you when it is needed (if I spend a month there I think I would be fluent), besides the people were all so happy that I was just trying their language and that I knew a little bit they were more than willing to speak slowly and at times use universal hand signs. Actually, what I found funny was that so many of them would ask me, "where are you from?" (in espanol) and I would say, "Estados Unidos" and they would say, "no where is your family from?" For some reason, they were thinking I was from some other Latin country. I always had to say, "mi familia son de pais de India."

The only snobby people in BsAs were fellow Americans who were fluent in Spanish and thought this somehow made them better. Hey why don't you go to a country where you don't speak the language and than tell me what a bigshot you are!

I'm sure I've left out tons of details, but I'm still a bit jet lagged. If you haven't been to this wonderful city, put it on the list, you won't be disappointed!