BA-day 5

We started the day at Gran Cafe Tortoni. Chris loves breakfast and this is a must see in BA. The cafe opened in 1858 and is a "time warp" according to Chris-but in a good way. Waiters dressed in suits with bow ties. Dark wood paneling. Cute round marble table. And chandeliers. The hot chocolate tasted like melted chocolate bars-thick and creamy. I had some traditional churros to dip in it plus ham/cheese/tomato trip decker sandwiches. Chris had cafe con leche, ham/cheese sandwiches, juice and a slice of chocolate Swiss cake. Cake for breakfast! Our waiter was pretty good with the camera. 

 

We walked up Aveneda 9 de Julio. This is a massive 24-25 lane road. Multiple light changes are needed to cross the entire road. Along the way there was a fountain replicating Iguazu falls. Since we were not able to see them this trip (I've already seen them and may have promised a trip to Niagra in exchange), I took Chris' picture. 

 We made our way to Teatro Colòn. Last time I was here the theater was under construction. I was only able to take a tour. This theater is known for its excellent acoustics. It has been said that the only downfall of the theater is that a mistake can be heard. We have tickets for tonight's opera of Tristan e Isold. I've always wanted to see an opera. Happy Anniversary to us!! Should be interesting (don't know the plot and it's in a foreign language)! 

(It's not the peace sign. It's to remember our 2nd anniversary.)

We headed back to the hotel for a clothing change and a dependable ATM. We tried to withdraw money throughout the morning, but being a Monday, every ATM had a line several people long. We were still full from breakfast and headed to another part of town to the Recoleta Cemetary (my favorite site in BA). Yes, we visited a Cemetary on our anniversary. 

The Recoleta Cemetary is the most expensive real estate in the city. And for the second time I long for photography skills. 

We peaked inside of some tombs. Most tombs have space for 2-4 caskets above and ground and a bronze gate below where older caskets can be put. The larger ones had stairs to access down below. 

The old belief emphasized the importance of where the body rested. Many had stain glassed windows and shelves for flowers. The average tomb can hold 25 caskets. And some were very well kept. 

We passed many familiar names-familiar because of the names we saw on street signs. In the historical section, the tombs resembled monuments. 

We also found Evita's grave. Her body was stolen after the military coup and hid in Milan for 19 or so years. 1971 she was returned after a terrorist group stole the body of another president. Who knew a dead body could be used as randsom. 

I could have stayed in the Cemetary all afternoon. Just wandering up and down the rows, peaking into the mausoleums, admiring the statues. But we needed to get some lunch and it was 4pm. 

We needed something we could count on-back to Cumana for a dependable meal. I had the same pumpkin & meat cazuela. Chris had the potato & meat. And we had a penguino (penguin) of wine. This is about 1/2 bottle of wine. And we remembered to get a photo of the ambiance. 

We had 2 hours before we needed to leave for the theater. Chris decided we could make it across town to the water-Puerto Madero. So we hoofed it across town. 23 blocks in 40 minutes during rush hour. BA had a working port for less than 20 years. BA is known as a city with it's back turned to the water. The development on the water is new (expensive). This is the puente de la mujer (bridge of the woman). 

Oh my gosh our legs hurt. My feet ached. But we needed to get back to the hotel to get ready for the theater. This was a much shorter 12 block walk. At the hotel Chris had a catastrophe with the iron and his khaki pants. We both packed items just for the theater. I hauled my Sanita shoes (which are heavy) across half the continent. (They are my packing regret.) But they felt so good when I put them on. Off to the theater. We climbed up to the 6th floor. The theater truly is beautiful. 

When we bought the tickets online, there was a warning about "these streets have an obstructed view." But the price was right. And we figured we were right below standing room-we'd be fine. The warning was correct. This was how I had to sit to see the stage. 

We looked to the stage and realized this was going to be an opera different than we'd anticipated. There were chairs for an orchestra. No set. The opera was sang, without props, costumes, or a set. The singers stood there and sang. The context clues we'd hoped for did not exist. Trouble. 

As the conductor began, he stopped 2-3 times and turned around to the audience in obvious disgust. The acoustics were so good that any rustling around in the audience could be heard by the conductor and he wanted it stopped. I've never been to a concert where there are audible "shh" from one area of the theater. (No whispering sweet nothings for Chris and me.)

There was an electronic screen that translated the lyrics-into Spanish.  (Meaning we both were lost. Me, because I couldn't read fast enough and the language was languid. Chris, because he took a quick nap.) The man next to me had his head on the railing. The one next to Chris was sleeping. Guess we wern't the only ones who found this evening difficult. 

After 90 minutes there was a standing ovation. We took advantage of the opportunity and left. We grabbed McDonalds on the way back to the hotel (oddly enough, we couldn't find empanadas). Classy, I know. Anniversary dinner as take out from McDonalds, but we had a bottle of Malbec waiting for us back at the hotel. 

Chris had a surprise waiting for us in the hotel room. 

He'd had champaign and chocolates delivered to our room along with a second anniversary note from the Butler. He is so sneaky! I don't know when/how he managed the champaign. And he won't reveal his sources. Completely unexpected especially since he'd been so intent on getting wine for after the theater. 

We finished off the night with Champaign and a couple of games of Cribbage. It was a memorable and wonderful anniversary in BA. 

BA-day 3

It was bound to happen. We packed individually. Some of our color overlapped  and thus today we are twinners in our yellow shirts. We have been known to color coordinate in the past, but today was unplanned and neither one of us was willing to change. 

The day started with another nice, free breakfast at the hotel. Chris took another photo, because he was "so impressed with breakfast." I have rediscovered my enjoyment for tea with honey. Chris had 3 "breakfast pastries" and I tried my best to stick to those foods with protein. I will admit we packed a ziplock full of Medialunas for later. 

We packed up our packs, made another run for water, and checked out of the Wilton. The bellhop teased us when he saw the backpacks. He said backpacks are always heavier than suitcases. We are thankful the Wilton was able to hold our luggage until we are able to check into our next hotel. 

In packing, my big question was about bringing my rain coat. It's light. Fits into it's own pocket and could be really useful. We looked at historical weather patterns-rains 5 days per 3 months in each of the countries we were traveling to. Thus, for the first time in 5 years, I set off without my raincoat or umbrella. Bad decision.  

Since the weather forecast was thunderstorms, we planned on visiting some museums. The morning was gray and humid. We started to walk the 15 blocks to Casa Rosada. Part way there a few drops. Within 5 minutes we were huddled under an awning during a downpour. 

See the cafe with the red awning? We were able to cross the street and head there to wait out the storm. The rainstorm had me very thankful for the cafe culture-and very thankful Chris is a coffee drinker. Once I managed to get over my initial disappointment with "wasting time" due to weather, we connected to the wi-Fi, posted some blogs, and played two games of cribbage. As we played Cribbage, the rain would subside for a bit and then pour again. 

We decided to change direction and walk to the Evita museum. It's the one museum I wanted to see again and Chris wanted to go as well. We then walked the million blocks down Libertador. My friend Karen and I used to walk the same route when we were working in BA. I am thankful for the sweet memories and familiarity. As well ad the surprises. I will remember bits and pieces. Like I knew there was a giant flower (think the bean in Chicago) but not where. We stumbled upon it. 

There was no more rain and we made our way to the museum. As we were walking, Chris admitted that he'd never seen Evita. I brought my husband to Argentina without checking to ensure that he'd seen the well done chick-flick Evita. And the man loves politics. I gave him a run down of the movie, sang a couple of my favorite lines (because everyone listens to musical soundtracks when living over seas, right?) and introduced him to Evita. 

Technically before the museum we had lunch at the restaurant at the cafe. A delightful meal. Well done. Excellent service. I had shepards pie with merengue on top. Chris had ravioli in a perfect sause. 

Before we entered the museum Chris was forced to put his bag in a locket, yet I was allowed to keep mine. Truth be told-they were both my purses that I'd travelled with. I had to smile because for as many times as I've incorrectly referred to Chris's bag as a purse, to the outside world it is a bag. The world is not yet ready for the man purse. 

 

The museum had large gaps (nothing about how she met Perón, her illness, the stolen body, or her critics) and when we return to the states my next biography will be on Doña Eva Perón. I think she was an incredible woman who paved the way for women in politics (Argentina's current president is a woman). The museum is housed in one of the women's houses she created and there were photos of Evita in the foyer. The house itself is beautiful. The museum has added technology since my last visit and you now can listen to her speeches and see footage. He song lyric is true: when you die, demand to be buried like Eva Perón. 

It was close to 5:00 pm when we left the museum bag headed back to Recoleta. 

We thought we'd hit the cemetery and the artesian market stalls. I saw the cemetery walls. I'd spent 3 months in this area-I knew where we were...except that I didn't. There was all these new businesses-most of them Western restaurants. This was a massive complex. I would've remembered it, right? Turns out they built a mall (Recoleta Mall) since my last visit. 

The cemetery was no longer allowing entrance. So, I had to make good on an ice cream promise. And that made someone extremely happy. 

We walked back to the Wilton, collected our packs and grabbed a taxi over to the Park Towers. I cashed in all my hotel points for 3 days at the 5 star hotel. I'd been waiting for this hotel stay since Peru. The pictures speak for themselves. I think the hotel room is larger than our living/dining in our apartment back home. 

We even had a dulce de leche/alfajores snack waiting for us. 

We settled into the hotel & unpacked our bags. I was tired of my clothing smelling like the plastic bags I use when traveling. We headed out to dinner, up Avenida Florida. This is a pedestrian mall. This is so the place to be if you want to change your money. Men and women stand on the street yelling out "cambio" and "dólares." They are so aggressive. They'll be quiet, chatting up a buddy in the street. Chris and I pass and they start yelling "cambio cambio! change dólares. You want to change your money? Where you from?" Drives me nuts. 

1. There is a HUGE black market for dollars. (Their street worth is 33% more than the official exchange rate.)

2. Argentina has a large problem with fraudulent Argentine pesos. 

3. It's rude to ask someone where they are from. (That could be an entirely different blog post.)

Once again, the spot we were headed to for dinner was closed. I was ready to hit up the McDonalds or Burger King that we'd passed (dependable prices, I know what I'm getting, and no table sitting fee). But we found a little place and I had hake with mashed potatoes. They even baked it for me rather than fry it. The best part about dinner was the bottle of Malbec. The waiter taught us to stick to younger wines since I like my reds sweeter & less dry. This was another wine we both enjoyed. 

As we were paying the bill, our waitress brought over two flouts of sparking wine. Just what we needed after an entire bottle. And then the downpour began. People were running in the streets. Our waitress said the weather predictions were unreliable (let's hope that means no rain tomorrow). We had underestimated the rain for this evening. When the rain subsided to a sprinkle, we walked home. Turns out our hotel is in a better location than originally thought-probably our shortest walk home. And it's green at night. 

We climbed into a bed of heaven (did you see all those pillows?!?!). We were even able to watch two episodes of Grey's Anatomy while lying in bed. Needless to say, it was a great day. 

Side Note:

Traveling has also made me very thankful for Chris. As a wise friend pointed out, if he was just like me, we wouldn't balance each other (and I wouldn't "need" him). I am thankful for his perspective. That in the midst of the downpour he is glad to be able to just sit at a cafe (and that he brought the cards). I'm thankful for his flexibility. Sometimes, traveling with him I feel like an OCD freak. And then I smile because I get to travel with him. For all the intercontinental conversations, text messages, and "Wish you were here " pictures I used to take-I finally have Chris with me. So I might not tour a museum or see everything on my list, but I have him. And he is pretty great. 

BA Day 2

Bless Meredith's heart.  Buenos Aires is where I really wanted to go to soak up some of South America's finest. Referred to as the 'Paris de Sudamerica,' I was really just looking to stroll and meander. People watch. Window shop. Coffee drink. Something my wife struggles to do. No agenda equals chaos. But she said we'll try it. 

Thus our morning began late. After finally sitting down to eat at an appropriate Argentine dinner hour (9 pm) the night before, early to rise doesn't necessarily follow. However, we went around 10 to finally eat our hotel breakfast. What a spread! Breads, fruits, cereals, yogurt, cheese, lunch meat, medialunas, coffee, tea, fresh juices. We tried not to overundulge ourselves based on quantity. We did just sit and enjoy a moment. 

Afterward, we knew our supply of clean clothes was running low. We scouted out a place the day before, so today we loaded up all our (smelly) articles and marched them the 5 blocks to the lavandería. It was 78 pesos ($12) for our 2 loads. Not bad. 

Then we started our strolling adventure. Today's attempt is Palermo. Unfortunately, guidebooks break up this barrio into many sub-barrios including Palermo SoHo, Palermo Hollywood, Palermo Viejo, Palermo Chico, Palermo Alto, and Las Cañitas. I broke down our tourist map into the stated border streets, marked potential sights and shops, and we were off. 

I've noticed many street names repeat throughout Argentina. Salta, Mendoza, and now BA all have an Av San Martin, a Belgrano, a Godoy Cruz, Las Heras, and now twice we found this one: 

Applicable for my wife and traveling partner. 

Then we started taking some turns. Mer didn't remember Palermo being so residential, but rather more bohemian and boutique shopping. So we did. We sought out a park to just and read and enjoy. 

Eventually, we found a more 'strollable' area. Shops, restaurants, cafés, bars galore. We scouted out potential places during our read time and headed for them. En route, we passed many quality food options. When we reached one which was a dinner prospect, there was a sign they had closed their doors after 20 years. Boo. 

However, I did finally get to indulge on the way. I heard news stories of a new Coca Cola being marketed in South America, Coca-Cola Life. Supposedly 'naturally' sweetened and thus earth-friendly, the company ditched their classic red to a more eco-sensitive green. Up to now I could only find it in 1 or 2 liters. Today, I found a 12 oz can. Perfect for sampling!

That's the joy of meandering! (Or so I'm trying to convince Meredith) With lunch plans still unresolved, we went back to a place we had previously passed called Magdalena's Place. We had a moment of wifi. Started a game of cribbage. Then our food came. 

The food was delish. (We might have been hungry as we scarfed our food without pausing to talk.) However, we did finish our cribbage game and then just sat for a moment and enjoyed. 

We plotted our next point which would take us to the western-most point of Palmero (specifically Palermo Hollywood, for those of you following along on a map at home.) We reached a cafe called Oui Oui. It was my goal to just sit at cafés, so I did. I got a coffee and two more medialunas. 

After a certain point, we looked at the time, 6:30. We needed to pick up our laundry by 8, only we were 40 blocks away. High-tailed we moved through the streets as the sun set around us. There was time for a photo shot over a train bridge. 

But we were off like a shot again. We darted through a main commercial street and around a mall. We finally made it with 20 minutes to spare. We loaded our laundry bags the last 5 blocks to our hotel and then collapsed in the sweaty heat of fast excercise on a chilly night. 

We rested a moment before realizing it was nearing 9 pm on a Friday night. Dinner prospects were slim on such an important dining out night (Mer previously admitted her corporate stay always included Friday night reservations.) However, neither of us were terribly hungry. While we considered the very real option of a McDonalds dinner (hey, it's cheap, quality, nearby, and no reservations necessary) we instead veered around the corner and found La Madeleine, a fast-ish food place with a menu you look down to order, waiters, and a decent bar option. We got the pizza. 

Sure it was an alfredo sauce and included the ever-present green olives (they're in a surprising number of Argentine dishes!) We ate most of it before paying our bill. (Again, we were charged 15 pesos each for cubiertos, which is literally 'silverware' but works more like a sitting fee. That sitting fee tips the scale to not an easily affordable meal.)

Afterwards, I tried to negotiate for ice cream (even with the unexpected cubiertos charge), but we were both quite stuffed. Since we still had laundry to sort and a looming 10 am checkout, (early by Argentine standards!) we decided to head in. Besides, more cribbage awaited! 

Mendoza, another round

We woke up in a familiar place, back at Tibet House in Mendoza. Our room was a little different (no heater and the shower had no curtain while draining under the sink), but for once we already knew our way around town. 

We didn't have anything exact on the schedule (we thought about horseback riding, but allergies and lack of a post-shower factored in), so we for once had a slow and casual morning. We went and sat at a cafe. We had our first medialunas of our trip (picture a crescent roll with a sweet glaze covering it). Then we went for ice cream (we have some catching up to do since Meredith's "everyday in Argentina" promise). 

That's when we finally got serious about our day. One thing left to do in Mendoza is it's largest park, Parque San Martin. Just a few block's walk from the main plaza, was a green area replete with tennis and rowing clubs (on the lake inside, obviously). Upon finding said lake, our next goal was the rose garden. Unfortunately, it's winter. Luckily, Mer's smile came to bloom where the roses didn't. 

We mostly just sat and enjoyed the sun for awhile, before our stomachs came calling. We exited the park for a slow lunch, before heading back to the park. It really was an interesting place where walkers, runners, and bikers could escape. We even saw two older men putting a golf ball at an empty Coke bottle. We enjoyed our afternoon there. 

And took many more photos amidst the non-existent roses. 

And one in front of an existent fountain. 

Very shortly, it was time to head back. We made the trek back into town. In preparation for our last overnight (and last bus period!) we stopped by a grocery store, the ubiquitous Carrefour, for water and snacks. We then headed back to the Tibet House to collect our bags. Taxi. Bus station. 

Our hustle actually got us to the bus station early. Too early. So much so, we asked if we could transfer our ticket to Buenos Aires to an earlier departure. Instead of leaving at 7:30, we left at 5:15. Our bus wasn't exactly on time, but we loaded our bags and boarded. 

Next stop and last stop: Buenos Aires.