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Published: December 18th 2008
Like most travellers, the Lonely Planet is very much our compass for travelling in foreign land. And when I read in it that a place is "almost achingly beautiful" you know I´m going to check it out...and they were so right!
And, like so many things in life, we were guided here by a series of mishaps...and I´m so thankful for them because I can´t imagine having spent the last couple of days anywhere else.
As for these mishaps let me advise you (as if I need to!) don´t rent a car from someone whose language you only understand about 30% of... but even more importantly don´t ever, ever rent a car from Buenos Aires! Ugh! But perhaps I should start at the beginning...
Buenos Aires-wow what a bustling city! We got there on a day that was only about 21 degrees-quite nice and found our way to our hostel in Palermo with the help of a crazy, quiet taxi driver. You know- the organized chaos which is stuff that driving rules (or are there any?) are made of round here. Its a fantastic energy and almost as fun as riding the old wooden rollercoaster at Playland!
After being up for almost 48 hours straight- packing all night and red-eye flight inclusive- we were a little dazed and confused but treated ourselves to staying in a private room that had a antique stonework patio that overlooked the street from the upper levels. The sweet scent of the yellow-blossomed tree just in front of our patio wafted into our room-yum!
One of the reasons we chose Palermo as our springboard for exploring Buenos Aires is that it had lots of green space-that´s gold to me in the middle of a massive city. Its apparently the middle class trendy boutiqued area of BA-it was pretty good. In our stupor we found our way to Carlos Thays botanical garden-gorgeous gorgeous garden! But did they say botanical garden?...there are almost as many stray cats living there as species of plants.
Well, anyone that knows me well knows that I´ve spent just about my entire life on 2 legs falling in love with cats. Yes, I fell madly in love with this stunning and, because of the cats, bizarre place.
Mitch and I found a nice grassy patch to pass out on for a bit in the afternoon sun. It wasn´t long before I felt something familiar...we popped our heads up and who was there but a very skinny, very tiny version of Mobo that had come and curled up in the 20 or cm between Mitch and I. How can you not fall in love with that?!
He had a little nap with us and I was hooked. We named him Polo. I don´t know why. Ask Mitch...
Okay, and yes, my cat is fat! I really think he´s got to go on a diet when I get back! Tanja, if you read this, don´t let him sweet meow you into more treats! He´s got enough treats on his haunches!
But you know what really got me? How often do you expect to be in a place full of stray animals and see big burly Argentine men lean over to give these sweet little cats a tickle under the chin! Of macho macho young guys...This is a big part of what made me fall in love with the people here right off the bat-they are so tender-hearted towards the strays around this country-and, let me tell you, there´s no shortage of them! Wait until we get to the dogs!
Here´s the thing...these animals, they adopt you and not the other way around. And they are some of the most civilized and well organized animals I´ve ever been witness to. Polo, over the next few days was fed very well-in fact he filled his tiny belly on some top-shelf argentine beef before passing out on my lap. No kidding, he literally flopped over onto my arms in my lap after he was done. Ah, love...
But, yes, civilized...the other cats would simply sit by and watch him eat. No fighting, nothing. And keep in mind that none of these animals are neutered so testosterone would be flowing aplenty through those veins.
He was the skinniest of all the ones we met there so maybe the others were cutting him some slack. He did need some fattening up. I´m actually looking forward to seeing him when we pull back in to BA after our month-long road-trip.
Hmmm, well, want exciting?! About the most dangerous thing that has taken place on this trip happend on our second day in BA (and that´s usual traffic and the perils of being a pedestrian not included).
We decided to go to the zoo which was next door to the botanical/cat garden. They had lots of neat animals to see but it was decidedly depressing to see said neat animals all caged up. But as we were nearing the entrance to the zoo-and this is on one of the busiest roundabouts I have ever and probably will ever see!-we approached about 4 horse-drawn carriages sitting out along the sidewalk. All of a sudden a comotion breaks out and we look over to see the horse of that last carriage start to jump up and raise its front hooves. The man grabbed the reins and tried to control the horse but he went crazy and started to buck full-on. We were about 20-25 feet behind and away from this horse and he´s bucking and bucking. I´m kind of looking at all of this wild-eyed, not knowing what brought something like this on! He bucks the carriage behind him about 4 or 5 times and then I hear a very loud "Crack!" and something is catapulting straight at both of our heads!
It amazes me time and time again that my brain can register and respond to what´s going on before I can fully process it. I realize that one of the horse´s shoes has broken loose and its been ricocheted right at our melons! AGH!
I quickly duck and then I hear metal on metal. I look at Mitch-we´re both speechless and looking behind us trying to see which car the horseshoe hit! A man appears from the other side of city bus with horseshoe in hand. He´s got a wry grin on his face and he looks over at us. I´m sure we were a sight-two tourists, mouths gaping, having just escaped having a horseshoe etched into one of our heads! Nice. Who said horseshoes were lucky!
Fast-forward to making dinner at the hostel the next night and I look over to the wall where all the breakers are and mounted there is a rusty old horseshoe! Oh, the trauma! I don´t think either of us will be able to see them the same way again! hehe
We spent just about all of our 5 days in BA getting all of our camping gear together for this road-trip. And doing so took us all over the city. But, honestly, how can anyone see the sites when you´re so busy watching the sidewalk in front of you for fear of stepping in dog shit. Holy moly, its everywhere! I stepped in it, Mitch stepped in it, many other people stepped in it. You´d always see fresh smears in the morning of the poor unfortunate biped that wasn´t looking!
Its so crazy that we saw one dog owner crossing a busy intersection with his dog in tow and the dog was pooing in mid-stride! His owner wouldn´t even stop to let him do his thing. Have a "cagar." That´s "to shit" my spanish-english dictionary says.
I saw one lone responsible young daddy actually pick up after his dog. I almost wanted to pat him on the back when we walked by!
And what a culture of contradictions-isn´t that what makes us interesting? I do think so!
People drive like madmen-whoever´s bravest gets the go...what rules? Patience is on a very short leash-you wait one second too long at the light and the 5 people behind you are honking and going mad with their hand gestures. Its very amusing...to a non-driver, that is.
But, people easily wait 20-30 minutes for their chance to use an ATM. Whoo, talk about mind-boggling to me! It seems ATM´s are out of service as often as they are working. How do people have all this time in the middle of their day to wait and wait and wait and then find that the machine has run out of cash!
Another thing the lonely planet said is that Argentines are a haughty bunch. So here I come expecting all this "haughtiness" and all I experiece is Hottiness! Yes, they are a good-looking people! Mitch and I both agree as soon as we walk out of the airport on that first day.
Forget the haughtiness! We´ve had almost nothing but awesome lovely interactions with the porteños here. And beyond that they really will bend over backwards for you if you´re in need. I really love these people.
I think a fair bit of it has to do with trying our hand at speaking Castellano-what they refer to as their spanish speaking ways. We really do give it our best and what we get in return is a barrage of spanish back! whoa, oh, no, no hablo castellano muy bien!!! But that doesn´t even slow them down. They talk a mile a minute at you and all I can do is smile and shrug. But I love it-I know a good portion of them speak a decent amount of english but they´re having a equal parts fun with us and encouraging our use of their languange.
Good on them, I say, for not wanting to ditch their language for the "almighty english" that everyone else in the world seems to want to do. No need to cater to us, if we´re visiting your country we should do a little homework and give your language a go!...Oh, but the mishaps...
Another thing I must confess is that I know that I´m also blissfully ignorant. I haven´t read the newspaper, seen a news report or turned on the radio-not that I´d understand the whole story if I did- but I don´t hear all the things that go on that do everywhere. Ah, its better for me this way.
But, I also realize that we learn alot simply from observing people and not knowing the language forces you to do this. And, like I said, we´ve met a lot of spirited, kind and funny people and this is just the beginning!
We´re in Villa Traful-that achingly beautiful place-and our stomachs are achingly hungry and its time for Parilla-argentine wood coal bar-b-que! Mmmm mmm good!
Until the next installment!
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Erin
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Hey guys! Sounds like quite the adventures!! I am living vicariously through you! Be careful out there, death by horseshoe doesn't sound so great!