Thursday, March 28th, 2024

Buenos Aires: tango, Tango, TANGO!

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There is something about Buenos Aires that makes you want to put on 4 inch heels, a slinky dress, and stay up ’til dawn, eating steak, dancing tango, and drinking Fernet. Unfortunately, we can’t keep our eyes open past 2, the taste of Fernet makes us gag, and Nelson doesn’t look good in heels – so we will just stick with the steak for now.

Buenos Aires is everything you would want in a big city: fascinating, walkable barrios full of unique historic and cultural sites, a bustling downtown with commerce and top-notch museums; welcoming restaurants – invoking modern innovation and traditional flavors; incredible shopping at creative, local boutiques; cafes serving strong coffee at all hours; beautiful plazas filled with stylish, proud, and friendly people; and the tango – a culture that pervades the city like a plague with its sultry, melancholy air. Hands down our favorite big city of the trip – and the best way to end our giant adventure.

After a couple of days searching for a temporary apartment in the city, we found a great pad in the leafy neighborhood of Palermo – the heart of locally-designed clothing and hip restaurants. Having a home rather than a hostel room made all the difference in the world. We felt human again! We relished our own little kitchen, our private bathroom, and even our own TV! Pure heaven. But we did manage to leave the apartment and thoroughly enjoy the city; even taking day trips to the beautiful delta region of Tigre – where small canals, lined with stunning island homes on stilts, replace streets – and also to the colonial village of Colonia across the Rio de Plata in Uruguay.

Time passed quickly, as we rushed to enjoy the last moments of our big adventure. From the Casa Rosada on the Plaza de Mayo to tango legend Carlos Gardel’s house, we saw the sites, took in the culture, and enjoyed the sensuous flavor of Buenos Aires. We volunteered at the local food bank, took tango lessons, and temporarily joined a gym! But before we knew it, we were eating our last steak on our last night at the most popular parrilla in town: La Cabrera. With a very nice glass of Mendoza Malbec in hand and tears in our eyes, we toasted the close of this major chapter in our lives. Hasta la proxima, Buenos Aires!

Best moments: 1) Those few and far between moments in tango class when we were able to move seamlessly together across the floor, giving in to the music and letting go of our fear – for a moment!
2) Listening to the wild strains and dramatic crooning of the genius modern tango band – Orquesta Tipica Fernando Fierro – in a dark, smoky club with hundreds of portenos.
3)Drinking a “Submarino” – hot chocolate made from dropping a chocolate bar in hot milk – at La Biela, a classic cafe in tony Recoleta.
4) Drinking tea in our little apartment, cozy and dry, while it rains cats and dogs outside.

Most unfortunate adventure: Apartment challenges. The great thing about hostels is that if you don’t like one, you move along – to another hostel or the next city – easily. But we signed a short term lease for our place, so we had to put up with the good and the bad. We had two challenges. 1) Cockroaches – including a three inch feller lingering in the bathroom molding and hundreds of babies that materialized instantly in drawers and sinks. Luckily, the fumigator came along three days into our stay, and dispatched our roommates. 2) Being on the ground floor, street side meant we were privy to all activities right outside our window. Every Saturday and Sunday morning at around 7 am, these activities consisted of drunk portenos – sometimes folks in their 40s or 50s – loudly enjoying the last moments of their weekend night. Portenos begin their nights with dinner at 11 pm, drinks at 1 am, dancing at a club at around 3 am, and heading to a cafe for some coffee around 6 or 7 am. So those outside our window were no early risers, but just heading home!

Best meal: Our last supper at La Cabrera. Goat provoleta (a grilled, melty cheese covered in spices) served with warm bread; perfectly cooked steak; amazing Catena Zapata wine; and perfect creamy, eggy Argentine flan for dessert. A great end to an incredible eating adventure.

Favorite person: Florencia! Our wonderful, encouraging tango instructor. She also took a break from her career at about our age to travel and reevaluate, discovering that tango (and teaching tango) was her true calling. Yah Florencia! We promise we will stick with the tango!

Quote of the two weeks: “Maxmitch, contra todo. Al final, la gloria.” (Maxmitch, against everything. In the end, only glory!) – what would be inscribed on the statue to commemorate our maiden journey.

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