La Boca

These are all pictures from our visit to the Boca area of BA a couple weeks ago, including La Bombonera, the stadium we'll be at tonight for Boca Juniors vs Racing. Below are El Caminito (the colorful buildings), a big park statue, and the bay.

Speaking of tropical storms

It has been rainy the past few days here- a welcome change to the hot days earlier in the week. But when it rains, it pours, that's for sure. This video doesn't really capture just how hard it was coming down yesterday. Mark and I went to pick up our laundry half a block away, and despite the umbrella over our heads, we were soaked almost instantly. I hope tonight's Boca Juniors game isn't rainy...

There was another blackout last night, right near us. We went to Mito's to see some live music, but the entire block was dark, and people were hanging out outside waiting for the power to come back. It never did, but we found a nice glittering bar next door in which to enjoy a Quilmes (tea lights are key).

Boca Juniors v Racing

Well, we just went down to the stadium for the second time this week to try and buy tickets to tomorrow's game. All ticket windows appeared to be closed (again), but a scalper got our attention, and we ended up buying 2 tickets for about $33 dollars each, which isn't bad...as long as they aren't counterfeit...also, we have really no clue what to expect once inside the stadium, but from what little research I've done, it looks like our seats are in the general admission section. Apparently it can get pretty crazy- people generally don't sit down at all during the game, except at halftime. Also, we may have bought tickets in the visiting team's fan section, but I can't find any info on that online. All I know is, we'll be wearing very neutral colors, and I won't be bringing my bag into the stadium. Just me, a few pesos for cab fare and concessions, and my ticket.

Wish us luck!


A glimpse into the stadium:

Our (hopefully real) tickets:

Brownout in Buenos Aires

Today Mark and I went to Jumbo, which is like the Walmart of Buenos Aires (except without the huge discounts). We thought maybe we could find some cheap clothing for the Patagonia leg of our trip. Decided to grab a bite in one of their cafes before shopping. We noticed that about half of the lights were off in the store, and one of the cafes had a sign saying something along the lines of having a limited selection due to no electricity. Also noticed how hot it was in there. Like, really hot..and muggy. I probably would have just left, but we had already ordered, and needed to buy some stuff, so we stayed. UGH. I was just sitting there, feeling like I was going to faint, when some people in the store started clapping. Weird, kinda like at Chile's when it's someone's birthday. Except they were protesting the power outage that had cut the A/C. I don't think it worked, because the only cool place was in the frozen foods isle. We made our purchases in a hurry and got out of there.

After doing some research, it seems that these brownouts, temporary power outages in random barrios at random times, occur when there is an energy shortage in the city. Apparently this happens from time to time. The weather was nice today, cooler than it had been the past few days. Cloudy and humid from the storm last night (btw, the storms here are pretty crazy, similar to the tropical storms in Florida, very windy and rainy). Maybe they decided to cut the power while the temperatures were down. Who knows, but I'm sure this won't be the last time we experience the fun of temporary power outages in Buenos Aires :P

On a sidenote, Jumbo had some interesting stuff, like this pasta department.

P.S. Yesterday I saw a woman breastfeeding while walking on the subte platform. Like, full-on, boob out in the open, like it was nothing. Is that normal down here? :/

Hello everyone- it's been a bit since I got a chance to update. Been busy planning for when we leave Buenos Aires. So far, it's been slow going, trying to research transport/accommodations, because all useful websites are entirely in Spanish, and most of them don't have an English translation link.

After checking out of our apartment in exactly two weeks, we'll head to the bus station in Retiro, which is easily accessible via the C line on the Subte (subway). We're catching the 7:40pm bus through a company called Via Bariloche, heading to Iguazu Falls. The bus ride is 15 hours (ack!), but we booked super camas (tutto letto), which are fully reclinable seats. Plus, a vegetarian dinner, and a movie. I think it'll be okay, as long as I find a book for the trip. We'll arrive at 11am or so, and go check in to our hostel, Aguara House. Spending the day in Puerto Iguazu, then taking a bus/taxi up to the falls the next day. Back to the hotel, then the long journey back into the city, where we'll catch another bus south to Mar del Plata. Thus will begin our adventure into the vast expanse of Patagonia.

A few days ago I stumbled across info about a burrito restaurant in microcentro. Apparently it was opened by some expats from Cali...Well, obvious we had to go there immediately. I miss Qdoba and just Mexican food in general, so I was pretty happy about this little find. And it didn't disappoint. Could've used to some Cholula on it though! ;)

There was a snowboard video on the TV too, so we felt right at home.



Minnie likey.


Also, last night we were at a bar and a group of Jagermeister girls came in with free shots...made me think of you, Sonya- lol :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to all our family and friends back home! We wish we could be home for the holidays with you, but we'll survive.

Floralis Generica

This is the giant flower sculpture called Floralis Generica. It has only been in Buenos Aires since 2002, but it is a must on the tourist circuit, I assume. Apparently, the flower closes at night and reopens every morning!

Jardin Japones

Just a few of our pictures from the Japanese Garden yesterday. Check out our flickr for more.

Vegetarian living...

Yeah that's not happening very well down here. Yesterday we finally found a vegetarian restaurant though, not too far from our place- just a hop, skip, and a subway ride away. The food was interesting- definitely needed some spice. That's the thing that is missing in la comida down here: SPICE! haha. I would kill for some sri racha, cholula, and tapatio. You'd think since we're in South America things would be a little more flavorful...I mean, hello, sabor latino??? ha. Maybe that's just Mexico though. At any rate, we both had some version of what I call pumpkin vegetable lasagna. I should have taken a picture of it. Mine was filled with squash, then topped with cheese and covered in pumpkin sauce, while Mark's was basically a broccoli casserole topped with a thick layer of pumpkin, then smothered in pumpkin sauce. They love their calabaza down here (pumpkin, in case you didn't catch that). It's in all of their tarts, which are basically the same thing as quiche. Tasted pretty good though, and was certainly a nice change to the usual miga, capresse sandwich, pizza, or whatever jamon y queso concoction out of the 15 on the menu we accidentally order.

It's amazing how long I can talk about food. But really, isn't that the biggest part of travel, the food? You gotta eat, and you hope what you're eating is recognizable at the very least :P

Spring in Buenos Aires...

...can be confusing. Kind of reminds me of Colorado- ever changing. I've found myself bringing my jacket along when we go out, because it can get chilly in the shade, and there is usually a gentle cool breeze meandering through the streets of the city. But sometimes it can be fairly hot too. Over all, I love the weather here so far. Not too hot, not too humid. In fact, I haven't even noticed the humidity. That said, it's only spring. First day of summer is December 21st.

Zooooooooo

We're going to the zoo today!

Mark started a list of things that are a challenge down here. I'll add to that list:

• finding an atm, changing $100 peso billetes
• talking to people in Spanish (haha, that was an obvious one)
• walking down the sidewalk without stepping on dog poo
• crossing streets without getting hit by a bus
• they don't eat tortilla chips down here, so Mark hasn't been able to have his daily dose of chips and salsa (also, salsa means sauce down here..as in, pizza sauce)
  

There are not stoplights or signs except at major intersections. People just drive out into the intersection and I guess hope there aren't any cars coming from the other direction. I've seen a few close calls. Buses appear to speed up when they near an intersection, or when they see people crossing the street it seems :P Also, riding in a taxi is a death wish. Our driver nearly killed us every five seconds on the way to our apartment the day we arrived. I thought the driving was bad in Mexico/Europe. This takes the cake.

Our apartment is in a very cool location, but there is the very annoying problem of construction down below us. Also, there has been a mysterious hammering sound coming from the rooftop area the past 2 days.

Palermo is definitely my favorite barrio so far, even though I really like San Telmo (where our apartment is). Will post more later!

Barrios

Just a quick update! We've been exploring the ciudad everyday and so far we've been to the barrios of Palermo, La Boca, Puerto Madero, and maybe a few others that we did not realize we were in. Of course, we've also spent a lot of time in San Telmo, which is where our apartment is (the building is pictured here). I like our neighborhood, and I'm glad we're here, even though there's a lot of road construction happening around our building. We wake up every day to the sound of a jackhammer 6 floors below. But I'm glad we're not in a busier area; we have seen some very crazy streets.

It has been interesting riding the subte (BA's subway system) around town. The first time we got on it was rush hour, and we had to cram into the subway car like sardines. Luckily its not always that full, and it is actually pretty easy to navigate. Admittedly, Minnie does most of the navigating, but the subway is one thing I understand. It only costs about 25 cents each ride, so its a great way to get around the city quickly.

Some of the challenges so far have been:

• finding vegetarian meals
• understanding the locals
• finding street signs
• reading menus

But we are figuring things out just fine. I am hoping to get a spanish tutor or take some classes soon. I am picking things up, but I would do better if I had somebody to answer my questions. Well, we are about to go buy some empanadas for dinner, so ttyl!
-Mark

Guide to San Telmo

For future reference, this is a link to an online guide called Welcome San Telmo. It has maps, descriptions in English, and pictures. It helped us find Gibraltar last night.

necesitamos una farmacia por favor

Mark caught a cold, so he's napping atm. My allergies are acting up- it is spring down here, afterall. Otherwise, everything has been fantastic! Yesterday we meandered through La Boca, stopping to see the Boca Juniors futbol stadium, and of course, the caminito. As we made our way back, we noticed that the streets were eerily quiet, and that most of the restaurants and stores were closed. I guess when there is a soccer game on, the whole city pauses to watch. I wish it was like this in the US!

Last night we went to a pub about a block from our apartment, called Gibraltar. Apparently it is a popular bar for expats and locals who like to hang out with expats. Things don't really get going around here until 11pm and even later, so by the time we made it to the next bar it was 1am or so. There was a live band that played the Blues. How weird it was to hear Blues in Buenos Aires. They were good though.

Wheeeeee!

Yesterday we went ziplining in the park :P







All of our pics will be posted on my flickr page, btw. Check it out

Me gusta cafe

Just having a little coffee at a restaurante in Palermo, a very cool district of Buenos Aires we explored today. I love the way they serve coffee here; espresso in a little cup, and it usually comes with a shot of orange juice, sparkling water, and sometimes a little pastry. All for 4 pesos or less; about US$1.21! We also had the helado almendrado (almond ice cream) pictured below. Very tasty.

Sidenote: my worst nightmare

Was reading a book and the atlas moth was mentioned- upon google search, here is what I found. EEEEEEEEK!



Thank god they don't live down here!

We made it!

After over a day of travel, we finally arrived in Buenos Aires earlier today. The trip was pretty grueling- delays due to weather really screwed things up. It was a really long time to be sitting on a plane. Anyhoo, we are here in our apartment now, and it is fabulous! Here are some pics of the place:












We went out to explore and find a market and something to eat. Ended up in a little place where we ordered (gasp!) dos sanwiches con jamon y queso. It was a pretty delicious and guilt-inducing meal. :P







Buenos Aires is a fascinating and beautiful city. Can't wait to see all that it has to offer! For now, it's time to shower and chill out for a while. Jet lag argh!

Our New Football Team

We'll always be Rapids fans, but once we get to our neighborhood of San Telmo in Buenos Aires, we will have to find a temporary team to support. The choices in BA include Independiente, Racing, San Lorenzo, and of course the two giants: River Plate and Boca Juniors. According to my initial research, it looks like San Telmo is closer to the Boca area than anything else, so it looks like I might come home with a blue-and-yellow Boca Juniors jersey. I read that Boca fans are considered more working-class, as opposed to the northern River Plate fans, so Boca sounds more appealing to me anyway.