- LOVE the dogs. They are everywhere. They all have balls, which probably explains it. No leash, no fights, no worries. People drop them off (read 'produce a leash, tie to rail in park) in the mornings, and they assemble in packs of ~50 dogs on various corners... including literally outside our door. They are in groups - hounds, retrievers, white fluffies, long ears... or at least that's how I see it - and each group gets walked independently, taking up the whole sidewalk and behaving insanely well. Zozoes, we need to talk.
- Couples make out incessantly. Every park has at least one or two kissing for hours on end. Seriously, we go out for an afternoon, visit museums etc, eat lunch and come back and they're still at it. Si and I pulled in on a park bench (saffas... yes, pulling in, it's like high school!) one morning and hey, it's cool. We're practicing lots now.
- Ten blocks either way from the tourist areas, it's perfect here. Quiet, great coffees (cappo + 3 croissants = P5.50 ~= $ 1.75). Cleaner though I still don't like the big streets with the smelly diesel busses.
- Caught the bus to Tigre today (1 hour each way $1.20 return). Outskirts of BA look amazing, maybe visit saturday? Had heard Tigre was overrated, just a boring river and a tacky amusement park. Was v. pleasantly surprised! We skipped the town and market and went out on the river to an island (tres bocas) on the municipal ferry (like a bus on water, flag it down and it stops at any pier). Super neat, super mellow, no cars at all. Simon was facinated with the boats' brilliant backing up skills and speed ... no rules here.
- Went to the tango show. Was worried it would be cheesy/waste of money (it's $50 without dinner, v. expensive for here and the tango people on the street sucked!). DO IT. tres cool. includes drinks and empenadas. This is to the street tango what the philharmonic is to subway buskers.
Nanny and me practicing in our PJs:
BA tips/ Argentina tips:
- Free yellow feaver shots at hospitals here. From asking directions to beeing innoculated took 1 hour including taxi (aka tour) and cost $24 pesos for return taxi ($8).
- Trains rock. Get out of the city. Return fare for 2.5 hours on clean train with organized schedule is P2.20 ($0.80). Retiro station makes sense and isn't intimidating, the only time I didn't feel 100% safe (my granny is with us remember) is in line/immediately getting off the train just cause there are a bunch of people.
- Recoleta cemetary is bizare, but neat. go. it's free (don't bother with the map, nothing is labelled anyways). Evitas tomb is the one with the people taking pictures, you'll have the rest of the place to yourself. Stroke a cat. There are hundreds.
shortcut to heaven?
- Don't bother eating cheap. Nice restaurant vs. crap restaurant is $2 difference and the quality/type of food is pretty different. Go nice, drink wine, eat steak. You'll walk it off.
- La Boca was a waste of time. Nice coloured buildings, but the neighbourhood really does go to crap within two blocks of the (three block long) tourist street, bit dodgy. On the tourist area we were so busy being harassed that we pretty much shut down. Go only if you are a check-the-box traveller. Otherwise skip it and explore the back streets of St. Thelmo instead.
Spanish lessons end tomorrow. Crap, yo still hablo no espanol! (except I know it's hablo instead of habla)!
I'm definately falling for argentina.
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