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| Life as a Porteno |
| Geplaatst door: Felix |
Tijd in Nederland: 06:32 22/03/10 - Tijd in Buenos Aires, Argentina: 02:32 22/03/10 |
Sunday afternoon in Buenos Aires. Dates are of no real importance to me lately, but today is a little different. Dutch people think the Lente starts today. Here itīs the other way around. Autumn is coming, and we can feel it!
Rain, rain, and more rain. A couple of months living in Summertime almost makes you forget that a day like this is normal in big parts of the world (at home in Amsterdam for example). Excellent cinema-day, in my hostel was a movie marathon as well.
Buenos Aires, also known as Capital Federal, itīs a beautiful city, full of surprises.
This week I have been walking around so much, through the parks, the beautiful neighbourhoods of Recoleta, San Telmo, and Palermo. Miles and miles, an occasional bustrip, subte ride, or yes, I admit, a cab. But most distance covered by foot.
I really want to ride a bike, but rentals here are completely un competetively priced, going out for an expensive dinner is cheaper... So itīs down to walking and public transport, luckily both of which I love, the buses here are the best. If you have to wait five minutes for your bus, you are really unlucky, most of the time they are just always around.
Ayres Portenos, it took me a while, itīs my fifth hostel in total in town, but finally I found a place I feel completely comfortable. A little big, it doesnīt feel that big, but everyday there are new people around. But we also have a steady crew of people who are here a bit longer, makes you feel at home a little bit more.
Itīs located in San Telmo, close to what is called the Microcentro, maybe the real center of the city. Itīs not all about the center though, practically everyday I head in northern direction, cause especially Palermo is what itīs all about here.
Bars, Shops, Clubs, Restaurants, Hostels, there is no end to the industry.
Recoleta is culturally really interesting as there are a lot of big museums, the other day I went to Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, more than a hundred years old, with a beautiful collection with a surprisingly large amount of European art as well. Goya, Renoir, Van Gogh, Rodin, and all of this for an admission price of zero pesos!
In January I went to Recoleta cemetary already, but I did go for another quick round. Still quite spooky if you ask me, wouldnīt want to be there at night!
The library is also worth a visit, it looks like yet another spaceship to me (look in archive for my last post in Rio or dig up the February picture collection).
One way streets, are the only way Argentina knows how to build a city. You wouldnīt think this is a big deal for a guy on foot like me, but in reality, it is!
First of all they like their cars, so when they get the green light, they got it for minutes on end it feels like. And hopping in between is completely uncommon here, cars really donīt like people walking around near them. But you only have to look to the left or the right everywhere, which still feels really weird. You cross five or six lanes of asphalt all the time and you only have to look left for example..to me it doesnīt make sense! So when I get to the middle I always look the other way, and the only thing you see is cars driving away from you, far, far away.
Parties. Portenos like to party. Mostly though, just on friday and saturday. But when they do it, they do it good! Seven in the morning is a good time for breakfast after clubbing I learned.
Speaking about breakfast, itīs one of the things Iīve come to love, especially in this hostel. Medialuna (croissant for Europeans) con dulce de leche (caramel chocolatey stuff they put in or on everything here!!), bread con dulce de leche, milk with cornflakes, and most importantly, my mate.
Mate is a way of life. In this city it is not as obvious as when you go inland, or to smaller towns. Everyone who has been here knows what I mean.
Argentines fill a cup, the Mate (gourd), with dried leaves of Yerba Mate, in a very precise way, so that the taste that everyone gets when sipping from the metal straw, is always at the highest level. I am still in training, since I mostly drink it at breakfast I am not always wide awake and my manners of course are still amateur level at best.
But I still love it, it makes me remember the good times in Uruguay, where I met some Argentine people, who shared their mate with me, and created a new follower.
Tomorrow will almost be my last day here, Iīll be on my way to Chile soon!
I built in a little cosmetic delay, also because of the earthquake, in my original īplanī I wouldīve been already gone west by now.
To cut the trip into acceptable pieces of busrides, I will at least make one stop in Mendoza. This place and province is known for some of the best wines of the world nowadays, and I heard great stories about touring by bicycle from winery to winery, tasting till....
Next weekend, itīs Santiago time!
I will miss you Buenos Aires, itīs been a really good time, again!
Chau
F
ps. Yes it is about time for some Pictures of March, they will come, soon. |
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