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Published: March 3rd 2007
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Plaza De Mayo
Walking around Buenos Aires you feel as though you are walking through a European city. This picture was taken from the Plaza de Mayo. I arrived in Buenos Aires last Saturday the 17th of February. Car to airport to plane to bus to hostel, the trip was not enjoyable but I was so excited to finally arrive after a snow storm had cancelled my flight and pushed my arrival date back. I arrived and checked into the hostel, locked my bag up in the locker and came downstairs to meet with Carla and the new friends she had already made in the hostel. Within my first few hours in the city I was invited in the home of Argentinians where we shared lunch and chatted in both English and Spanish, played card games and drank beer.
Carla and I returned to the hostel to shower and relax for a moment, but then we met the same Argentinians, Eziekiel and Lucia, and were invited to their house for dinner. I had a cat nap on the couch while they cooked dinner and afterwards I was ready to enjoy the evening with our friendly, funny, and beautiful hosts. We ate dinner very late as it normally happens in Argentina and then drank beer, played cards, and shared stories until about 6 in the morning. By this
Graffiti
The city is covered with stencil graffiti, most of it political in nature and some of it absolutely stunning. This was taken right next to my hostel. point I was so exhausted because I had slept maybe 45 minutes in the previous 72 hours. We had a little bit of sleep but we had to return to the hostel at midday because we booked tickets to see a soccer game.
The people here absolutely live for soccer and I have never experienced anything like the game I saw in La Boca. La Boca Juniors is a team based in a poor neighborhood of Buenos Aires that is famous for its multi-colored houses. We boarded the bus to the game at around 2 and after our guide made a failed attempt to sneak the group in a back entrance, we waited in a mile-long line with thousands and thousands of Boca fans dressed in blue and gold. They opened the doors to the stadium and we made our way through security to the
populares, the part of the stadium where the masses sit which is basically a huge set of steps. It was very treacherous and I was amazed at the way the vendors climbed over the crowds of people with trays of coke and popsicles. The energy in the crowd was amaing and reached a climax
La Boca vs Rosario
Fans on top of fans on top of fans in the populares in La Boca´s stadium. The fans were the main attraction for this, yelling, screaming, chanting, and in the end sulking as the game ended in a taie as the players ran onto the field. The fans all sang the La Boca songs and jumped up and down in unison, shaking the entire stadium. Unfortunately in the end, the game was tied and the fans left sulking.
All these words, and I have only covered my first 24 hours in Buenos Aires! I have been here two weeks today. I have partied until dawn with Brazillian tourists, partied till dawn with Argentinians, partied till dawn with Americans, partied till dawn almost every night that I have been here. And I am not even that into partying here. A normal day here goes something like this: wake up at 10:30 or so as roommates move in and out of the hostel, maybe later depending on how crazy the night before was. Do spanish homework. Eat a lunch of pasta or empanadas with Carla. Go to class. Do something touristy afterwards such as walking around the famous Recoleta cemetary. Return to the hostel for a nap and a shower, eat a dinner of $5 sirloin around 10 or 10:30 and then begin the night of partying. Time is so warped here for me and I find myself feeling a
La Boca banners
Huge banners came from everywhere and covered every surface of the stadium at one point. Some came down over the fans and they pulled it back and forth in time with the music. These banners say "cada dia somos mas" which translates literally as "each day we are more." little run-down and rarely getting more than 4 or 5 hours of sleep. But I can´t complain about my lifestyle.
One of the highlights of this week was being able to meet up with Eugenia, a friend from St Marys whose entire family is Argentinian. The first night we hung out with Eugenia, her boyfriend, Andrew (also a St Marys alum) and what seemed like her entire extended family on her dad´s side. Andrew, and myself sat silent and stunned as the entire room around us erupted in jubilant laughing and catching up in a language that we could not understand. Carla was able to interact more because of her background with Spanish. We spoke a little in English as we ate empanadas, drank wine, and ate flan with dulce de leche for dessert. It was a great, but shocking night to find out just how little Spanish I know (not nearly enough to follow, let alone participate in a conversation). The next day we were invited to meet the other side of the family for a traditional Argentinian
asado (barbeque) which consisted of melt-in-your-mouth steak, sausage, lamb, pork, procutto, and (thank GOD!) a salad. We lounged by the
Asada
Meat meat meat. The best meat in the world. All this was grilled to delicious perfection. Thanks to Eugenia´s aunt and uncle, they were wonderful hosts. pool and napped in the sun after lunch, and crashed at Eugenias grandmothers house for the night.
The next day, on the journey back to Buenos Aires from the suburbs, I felt astounded that in my first week in Argentina I had the good fortune to spend so much time in Argentinian homes and see a little of how the people here live. I was truly lucky.
Buenos Aires is a modern city, beautiful and dirty, laid back and edgy, old and new all at once. To be honest, it has been a very easy way to start off my time in South America. It defniitely has it´s quirks, but I have loved it, and the Argentinians are wonderful people.
Now I am off to Uruguay where I hope to relax and get a tan on the beaches, which are supposed to be amazing! Later
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