Buenos Aires Part 2

Hola again!

Monday after my last update I took the subte to Chacarita cemetary, the other major cemetary here. It's HUGE, over 90 blocks! Before going in I stopped and got some fruit and crackers at a supermercado and ate in the park across from the cemetary. I headed in and wandered for a few hours and was able to find Carlos Gardel´s tomb but not Juan Peron. It was incredibly hot and I forgot to put sunblock on that day so I now have a white strap mark across my chest from my bag.

I walked back to the subte and took it to the stop for the science museum. I will never figure out the map that I have. Some parts are scaled way too big and others way too small. I thought I would have to walk about 1/2km to get to the cemetary and it was right across teh street from the subte exit and I thought the science museum was right across the street and it ended up being a good mile away. It was worth it though. For 3 pesos (less than $1) there was a fantastic paleontology exhibit with all teh local dinosaurs. There was even a stromatolite!! I had a nice relaxing afternoon wandering the museum and then made teh (very stupid) decision to walk back home. It was probably close to 3 miles with all the turns and going around train tracks. I was exhausted once I got back so I went to get some empanadas from the supermercado and brought them home to eat.

Tuesday was a rough day as I got homesick for the first time in my life. I made myself go out though and went to the botanical gardens to eat lunch and relax. There were too many mosquitoes there and I was being eaten alive so I left there and went next door to the zoo. That was excellent and I can't get over how cheap it is. 12.5 pesos (about $4) with the extended pass that lets you into the aquarium, rainforest and reptile house as well. You can buy a bucket of food for 6 peso to feed most of the animals. The collection of animals was very impressive and besides a few exhibits that bothered me (single orangutan in a cement cage, a very unhappy bear in a small enclosure) it was a very nice zoo. There was a little baby bonobo and 3 baby white tigers. It was a nice break from the city, even though I was still smack in the middle of a very busy area!

Had dinner that night at the restaurant right at the corner that I walk by every day. Had what I thought was chicken ravioli but ended up being ravioli with a quarter of a chicken on top, it was excellent. Finally got to have panqueques with dulce de leche which is INCREDIBLY sweet. Dinner, bottle of water, dessert and tip for less than $10.

Yesterday I went to the Evita museum which was a beautiful museum in a building she had a made into a home for unwed mothers while her husband was president the first time. It took you, chronologically from birth through her death and was very well done with video footage throughout with english subtitles. I had lunch at the 4 star restaurant downstairs because I really hadn't splurged at all so far on the trip. Splurging meant $10 US for a huge salad, bread, wine, bottle of water, a cafe con leche and tip!!! Bought a few things from the gift stand and left.

I realized I was close to the US embassy and figured I'd walk through the park over there. The park was beautiful with lots of sculptures (as are everywhere) and a "dog park" (which is a big giant fenced in area that people leave their dogs at --yes the just leave them there and come back later for them!). I took some pictures of the embassy from a distance but as I got closer, a cop came up to me and told me no pictures. I chatted with him for awhile about how there are no pictures allowed at any US embassy worldwide by anybody and how we think we run the world. Completely ridiculous. Every other embassy you can walk right up to and take pictures and you can go right into the Casa Rosada while the president is there working yet the US Embassy is surrounded by 3 sets of fences with barbed wire, hundreds of guards and no pictures are still allowed. Perhaps because (or maybe why) we are the most hated country in the world. I did get a great picture though...nearby was some fantastic grafiti with Bush's face and the words "Bush asasin".

Came home, took a shower and got dressed up to go out. Took a cab to Club del Vino (a theater and restaurant I had been wanting to go to) and had a great cab driver on the way who is from Armenia and is trying to learn English so we chatted the whole way. Got there and it was VERY closed. As in shut down (ever since there was a fire and hundreds of people died in a club a few years ago they have been randomly shutting down performance venues). I wandered for 20 minutes or so but was totally overdressed for any of the nearby places so I grabbed another cab (thank god they are so cheap!) and took it to Club Tortoni (a famous, touristy tango restaurant). The next show wasn't starting for 1 1/2 hours so I had dinner first.

Argentines do not just do plain steak, the throw everything possible on top. Mine was a boneless steak with a layer of mozerella, layer of sliced tomatoes and another layer of mozerella on top. I had a fantastic bottle of wine (yes the whole bottle) that I can't remember what it was called, hmm maybe the receipt has it on it. After dinner I went downstairs to the show and had a cafe con leche while I was waiting. Every single cup of simple coffee with milk that I have had here rivals starbucks. It is just wonderful! The show was fantastic. Tango/comedy/theater/singing all together. I was sitting with a group from Brazil and the guy next to me spoke perfect english from working at the Brazil division of Ernst and Young so we talked a bit. I took a cab back and had another great cab driver also trying to leanr English so wanting to talk the whole way. It was an amazing night and for 3 cab rides, dinner, bottle of wine, coffee, and the show it cost me less than $40 US!!!

Today I brought my laundry to be done while I was out (you drop it off and they wash it for you for about $1) and headed for La Boca. I got lost and the neighborhood was creeping me out (so I was likely IN La Boca) so I trusted my instinct and turned around. At least I saw the stadium while I was in it!

Went instead to the tourist area and was going to go shopping but there was WAY too many people and it was so hot. I stopped to have lunch at McDonalds (as I promised Sarah I would do before i left). Argentines even know how to make McDonalds taste good. The chicken sandwish was actual real chicken like you would get in a restaurant and the fries weren't greasy at all.

I went to the Plaza de Mayo again to see the Madres march once more before I leave. There were several other groups there marching with them for other social change and it was very nice that both sides of the Madres marched, though seperately. Just hung my clothes on the line on the roof (didn't have them dry them as Juan Carlos said they shrink absolutely everything) and I'm hoping it won't rain too soon! Going to grab something to eat and go to bed earl tonight because I am exhausted!!

Love, Kristen

---

---

Part of trip: Argentina

---