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Published: December 11th 2007
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My what a big Obelisk
Well, what makes a city great is the size of its obelisk! For those of you who thought (hoped) i might have come down with some nasty disease and have to spend most of my sabbatical in bed recovering, i am sorry to disappoint! I´m in Buenos Aires Baby!
One and a bit weeks in and i am adapting to life fairly well i think. Once i got over the smell of urine and sweat everywhere, the constant noise and pollution, and the fact i can´t understand the majority of what anyone says to me in any situation, i was fine. But hey, its still all better than London in the Winter!
Overall, despite all of the above, i am liking my time in Buenos Aires a lot. Its actually quite a pleasant place to spend some time with some lovely park areas and squares dotted around the place to chill out. There are also lots of cafes around which i have been spending lots of time in chilling, drinking coffee and trying to absorb some Spanish. The other thing i have noticed about Buenos Aires since arriving is that everyone seems to look great. They all dress immaculately, are mostly slim and fit and look the complete opposite of me
Presidential Palace....with accompanying protesters!
Nothing like a good Latin American protest del dia! I think it adds to the picture! walking down the street in my scabby backpacker clothes. It really is amazing just how glamorous they all look. I suspect they must lock up all the ugly babies in some other remote corner of the country soon after birth, just to keep them out of the way!
Food and drink wise, this is a fantastic city to be in. I have already had the best steak of my whole life in a restaurant in Palermo last Saturday. Although i am determined to find a better one, so i will keep trying. Its a tough job but i think i am up to the task. The only difficulty is that they don´t eat until so late here. 10:00 would certainly be early to eat here. So i fill the long evening before dinner by eating cakes along with my coffee, which they also do very well here. Dulce de Leche (Like caramel but a little sweeter) is everywhere and in everything.
My attempts to learn Spanish are as successful here as in the UK (i.e. slow). I thought learning in a foreign country would do the trick, but it isn´t the miracle i was hoping for. My first
Mausoleum Envy?
My tomb is bigger than your tomb! nights dinner with my host family was an interesting affair involving lots of sign language to accenuate my very limited vocabulary. Although i do feel i am learning quite a lot quite quickly. And its great to practice a little in the "Real World"
Oher things i have been up to in the city. Well, i visited the cemetry of Recoleta last week for an afternoon. Its quite strange that a graveyard is one of the biggest tourist attractions in Buenos Aires. But this is no ordinary graveyard. Its where the rich and influential of Argentina are all buried. And it seems like each of them have built bigger and better mausoleums than their (Already dead) nieghbours. The ultimate status symbol i guess. The cemetary is like a minature town, divided into blocks with streets running along. But everyone flocks to one grave, that of Eva Peron. The guidebook gives directions to it (go along main avenue, 3rd street on the left, 2nd right etc...), but you don´t need them if you listen for the American voices drifting over the graves! The graveyard really is an amazing place to wander through though.
I have also taken a few
San Telmo Sunday market
A great place to chill out on a Sunday pictures of things around the city, along with a few from San Telmo, a district of Buenos Aires with a huge market on a Sunday, and many street performers that i have been to. Its a really cool place to head to on a quiet Sunday here.
I´ve also been to see a footbal game here too, and i´ll post a separate blog on that soon.
I am in Buenos Aires up until this coming Sunday, then the backpacking travels proper start with a trip over to the wine growing region of Mendoza.
I hope everyone is well at home. Loving the comments so far.
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Bishop
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Bonus Aries
Fill me up with your heat, with your noise With your dirt, overdo me Let me dance to your beat, make it loud Let it hurt, run it through me. Don't hold back, you are certain to impress Tell the driver this is where I'm staying Hello, Buenos Aires Get this, just look at me dressed up, somewhere to go We'll put on a show