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

Buenos Aires: The Very Beginning

Buenos Aires! Besides the scare I had about not being able to board my plane in Los Angeles, my travel was pretty smooth. The 24+ hours of travel was much less daunting than I thought it would be. The flight from Miami to Buenos Aires was quite pleasant actually. I flew on LAN airlines. The plane was spacious, I had movies to watch, two decent meals.... they even passed out ear plugs and eye covers. Both of which helped immensely with my sleep. I had booked a shuttle to the hostel... the driver was a friendly chap who did not speak English. We smoked cigarettes and had funny conversations with his limited English and my limited Spanish. The drive to the hostel was about 45 minutes and full of insanity. The traffic and drivers in Buenos Aires are crazy! There seems to be no rhyme or reason at all. People zoom around both in cars and on motorbikes, and cut each other off like crazy. There also seems to be very little attention paid to making or sticking to, actual lanes of traffic. It's a fast-moving and frightening hodge podge of a system. But....it seems to work somehow, which is miraculous!

The city is giant and bustling and loud... but in spite of this there is a tranquil feeling as well. The architecture is amazingly interesting. I've walked on both the widest and narrowest streets I've ever seen so far in my life. There are people everywhere.... all different shapes and sizes and colors and ages. It is a fascinating place to walk down the street.

Upon arrival at the hostel I met a very eccentric (but harmless) guy from Columbia who suggested that we take a walk to Puerto Madero to check out the Reserva Ecologica Costanera Sur, of which we only saw a small portion. It's definitely a place I want to go back to explore in more depth. We bought a couple Quillmes (a popular Argentine beer) and sat in a beautiful public park that is part of the reserve. On the way back to the hostel we stopped at a food stand and split a Choripan (chorizo sandwich) which was delicious. The best thing that I've eaten here so far.

After returning to the hostel and a much needed shower, I met up with a fellow San Diegan who now lives here and who I had been introduced to by a mutual friend. We had steak dinner at a small local restaurant and then some drinks at a fun and busy bar called La Puerta Roja. We then stopped to have a few more drinks at a place called Plaza Dorrego....a large open air square surrounded by coffee shops, bars, and pubs. There was a live blues band playing when we arrived, and once they finished...live Tango music began and a couple performed Tango dance. It was beautiful and the vibe was pure magic.We then headed back to  La Puerta Roja ending the night with one of the most interesting and strangely addicting shots called "Chili Bombs", which are apparently unique to this bar. They infuse every day vodka with ground up jalapeno juice and pieces. The shot of jalapeno vodka is dropped into a cup filled half way with some kind of energy drink. It was shockingly spicy and weirdly exhilarating. Overall my first day here was full and pretty much perfect!

My hostel stay has been a bit rocky, but overall I'm trying to go with the flow and not let things upset me too much. I've met some cool people here and really you can't beat a hostel that serves beer in the lobby. The  food in Buenos Aires has been mediocre which is disappointing....but I'm hoping for some better meals in the near future. I haven't seen or done too much exciting in the last couple days... alot of just walking around the city and chilling out. I look forward to doing some fun sightseeing in the next couple of days. On my list of things to do next: La Recoleta Cemetary and Feria San Pedro Telmo.

Until next time...Ciao!

-tpd

November 19, 2011

Here I Go!

I'm sitting at my gate (J12) in the Miami International Airport. In two hours I will board the airplane that will deliver me to Buenos Aires, Argentina. A trip a year in the making. But really... when you think about it... a lifetime in the making. We can boggle our own minds retracing events in our lives that have led us to our current positions and places. I get a kick out of it sometimes. But mostly I am just extremely grateful. Grateful for the myriad of blessings that have been presented to me. The people, the strength, the courage, the love, the lessons, the experience. All of these things having their own place in my present moment. A beautiful puzzle...static and dynamic all at the same time.

So... I am off. Entering the unknown. Fulfilling a fantasy, a dream, a goal. The excitement and anticipation is unequaled. When fear grips me (as it does every 15 minutes or so).... I think of all of the brave solo women travelers that have gone before me. It's easy to fall into the trap of fear.... in our society we are spoon fed millions of reasons to be fearful. It is much less often that we are given information that empowers us as women, as people. So I hold onto the stories and experiences of the millions of other people that already have taken the leap of solo travel to foreign lands. To be sure there are many, many more stories of success and wonderful adventure, than there are of failure or bad experiences. And really.... what is failure and bad experience but something to learn from? So I guess anyway you look at it I'm heading into a journey of the spirit....

Adios!

-tpd
15 November 2011