Sunday-monday aug 16t-
We had a very long journey with a few speed bumps along the way. Got into BA airport to a lost bag and lucy’s address stuckin my dead computer without an adapter in sight. We figured out our way to the lost bag claim and the taxi recommended by camillo. With the guide book we gave the address to the hostel were we were droped off. From there we were able to check our email and see that we couldn’t have gotten into lucy;s apt anyway since it was a national holisday and the door man was off. But we got an address to the country/suburb home where lucy chuck and ray were with the rest of the crew. We decided to bit the bullet even though we were tired and make the treck out. The Recoleta Hostel called a driver and we made out way out. HE got lost more than once but eventually we made it to the highly secure suburban neighborhood. The beautiful houses were lined along the streets of the heavily guarded compound. Lucy met us at the entrance and brought us home. We said hi to everyone and introduced nick. Ray and anna were there as well as chuck lulu and sophie. And of course lucy camillo and the two new baby twins valentina and Isabella. We took showers and had a great breakfast catching up over eggs and fruit. We then all went to the park to play on the swing sets and a little tennis too. This was followed by the zoo that had all kinda of fun new animals. We spent most of the time waiting in food lines and got the first taste of both argentina’s famous ice cream and there chronic inefficiencies. Stand in line 15 min, pay, wait for 45 minutes with your tickets, then pick out your flavores. After a nap and pizza dinner we drove back to BA spending the night in camillo’s moms apt with chuck ray and all the girls.
Tuesday:
Tuesday was the bike ride through la boca. We rallied the troops early: a younger version of the Fiastro family trying to make a tour. But luckily we were the only ones so they waited. Ana our guide took us from plaza san martin through Puerto madero the ecological reserve and then finally through boca, the somewhat dodgy neighborhood only to be entered on such a guided tour. It was a good way to start out getting our bearings in the city. For nick it was a little more stressful of a journey with precious cargo lulu on the back of his bike, navigating the traffic of BA were lines on the streets are “really just for decoration” and motorcycles zip by willy nilly. All in all a fun edventure that ended with lunch on florida ave. were we learned that nothing that you order in argentina is going to come out what you expected.
We played with the babies then walked around recoleta a little with chuck showing us what was and wasn’t worth our time. Then a nice quite take out Italian dinner at lucy’s. more killer ice cream
Wednesday:
A less interesting day: Breakfast with camillos mom the twins lucy camillo chuck and the girls at the shi shi mall down the street then walking nick and I walking lulu and sophie around Palermo in a cold drizzle. As fun as the was…. We made the quick hand off to chuck as he prepared to fly home. That night we check into the Hostel we had visited earlier. No body very interesting. Had a very delicious ravioli dinner at Juana M’s and another early (1:00) night by arentine standards. We walked into the restourant at 10 and its empty! Fills up as we eat but everything is sooo late.
Thursday:
Took the subte (subway) to plaza de mayo. Saw the casa rosada, their version of our white house. Wondered to Puerto madero to a museum about a old naval ship, on the ship itself. Kinda cool. Then to a little church near by with a convent I might add (just like nick said “no fun, sooo many convents” to put Dr. Wack at ease )
We then meet up with Idalia from Scripps for lunch at a parrilla or grill. It was super nice to see her and the food was pretty good. Nick made the poor decision to try the blood sausage, which we can not even mention now. I believe the description was that it tasted like coagulated blood. Now I could have told you this by looking at it, but he had to try. Bluhh.
Then we doubled back to the plaza to see the madres de los deceparecidos. Something that I was very excited for but came up a little short. Many of them have since died and there are only a few who don’t march they just sit by their table with flyers and fund raising nick-nacks. The only people paying any attention were all the gringos who had heard about them
(quick history lesson for some: from the mid 70’s to 82 there was an aweful dictatorship that took and killed over 30,000 people mostly young students who had ideas that did not coinside with theirs. The mother of the disappeared or las madres de los deceparecidos began to protest by walking in a circle in this plaza in front on all the government building and still do it to this day, kind of. Their trade mark is their white scarves)
We then hopped on the historic subte A. With cute, old wooden trains all the way up to Belgrano. Idalia had read that it was fashion week BA so we said we would tag along (booster was even a little excited). It cost 20 pesos which is only 5 american dollars to get in and see the actual runway show. We were super close up too. It was like nothing I have ever done or will do again but for 5 bucks you cant beat it! Clothes cool, models scary, experience priceless.
Fresh made ravioli at lucy’s,. Thought we were gonna get to go out with jill and idalia but no go they all had class and we had an early morning.
Friday: Colonia Uruguay
We woke up at the hostel pretty early to catch the 830 ferry to colonia, Uruguay. A little town that his been around since colonial times. Pretty poochy with cobble stone streets and and little super old buildings. We walked around joined a little tour but in Spanish with a thick accent so a little hard to understand. We bought the museum pass (again like 5 bucks) for 7 different one room museums around the town so we wondered through. We had the best meal of the trip at a restaurant. Steak and potatoes but like I have never had them before. Ferry back across the widest river mouth in the world, el rio de la plata. We napped back at the hostel then picked up pizza on the way to jills host mom’s apartment. We met some of her friends US and local and we all went to a bar/dance club place. It was pretty fun, very smokey and late. Things don’t start till 2 and usually go till 7. We only stayed till 4 but still, its just silly, cause everbody wait around for things to get started.
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