Buenos Aires: Some Observations

• Dogs, dog walkers, and dog poop: This is an enormous city. Millions of people live here. So, it makes sense that there are a lot of dogs. One of the funniest things that you will see on the streets of BA are professional dog walkers. Why so funny? Because they are walking at least 5 dogs and usually up to 10 or more. All on leashes! I don't know how they do it... but it's surely a site. Dogs=poop, right? Right. I guess in BA there are no rules about picking up after your pet... or if there is, people don't abide by them. Before I came to Buenos Aires I read plenty about the dog poop problem plaguing the sidewalks of the city. I read so many negative things actually, that I was almost scared to see what it would be like. And while yes, it is worse than any city I've ever been in, it's not nearly as bad as I had pictured. Some days I will only see a pile or two all day. And some days it seems as if it's everywhere. I'm sure you're wondering if I've stepped in it yet, huh? Yes! I have as a matter of fact.

•  Keys, kids, and cabs: I'm not sure if it's the whole country of Argentina, or just BA...but they have the funniest looking keys. I'm not sure why something as mundane as key shape is important enough for me to put into my blog.... but alas, here it is. Perhaps because they remind me of something old. I suppose they are, in a way, artistic. Rustic. I guess I dig old, artsy, rustic looking things. You also almost always need keys to exit or enter an apartment building, so you have intercoms at nearly every building... and some apartments you need to take your keys every time you step out of your door because the doors automatically lock.  So I've been staying in a place that is close to a school... naturally there are a lot of children around when I go out. Why the heck is it that children speaking a language other than your own is so damn charming? I mean... don't get me wrong, I love to hear anybody speak Spanish (I wouldn't be in South America if I didn't!). But there's something extra special about hearing a child speak in a foreign language. Lastly.... Gotta love the cabs in BA! They are plentiful (I think there might be more cabs than personal cars on the road), cheap, and they look all the same. Literally you won't go a minute without a cab driving by. I love walking here, and mostly I do... but for those nights when you stay out late or you're just too tired... it's so convenient to hop in a cab to get you where you're going. 

-tpd

November 30, 2011