Buenos Aires, Argentina

Hey Everyone! hope all is well in the states and you all had a good thanksgiving! This update is a little late, but I am going to tell you about my trip to Buenos Aires, that was actually in the begining of October.

My friends Sarah and I decided to go here because one of her friends is studying there, and I also have a friends teaching english there. I also met Leigh, a friend of Rachel's sister Sarah, who was also taking Spanish classes there. We stayed for 1 week.

Our hostel was located in downtown BA, a 20 minute walk to the Plaza de Mayo, and even closer to Calle Florida, Florida Street, a long street with plenty of shops.
PLAZA DE MAYO
Here there is a plaza and also the Rose House, Casa Rosasa. This government building was painted pink to ease tension between the countires opposing political parties, whose respective colors are red and white. The photo I have posted you can see the balcony, which faces the plaza de mayo. Eva Peron and her husband Juan Peron made many speeches to the people of Argentina from this balcony.

Plaza de Mayo is equally famous. Here, mothers of the disappeared, los desaparecidos, march every thursday afternoon, in protest of the brutal government and the gurra sucia, the dirty war, which happened in the years 1976 to 1979. The disappeared people could be sons and daughters, who opposed the government during that time, and for this, were kidnapped and "disappeared" which probably means killed, but still, there are many unanswered questions.

Buenos Aires, population 13 million, is made of many neighborhoods, barrios.
La BOCA
This neighborhood is known for it's colorful buildings, and also the Boca Juniors, the soccer team.

Palmero: A large neighborhood with good shopping, but had a very homey feel. The museum of Eva Peron is located here.

Recoleta: There is a ferria, a fair, here every Sunday with a lot of crafts, clothes, jewelry, and cups for yerba mate, which is a really popular herbal alternative to caffeine. Also, the cemetary where Eva is burried is here.

San Telmo: Really pretty colonial influenced buildings. Also a great ferria here every sunday with lots of antiques.

San Nicolas: In downtown Buenos Aires, where our hostel was, Plaza de Mayo, etc.

LA COMIDA: THE FOOD
Wine/Vino: Argentina, like chile, makes a lot of wine. You can find a nice bottle for 3 pesos, which equals 1 dollar.
Dulce de leche: the pastries in Argentina are amazing. Dulce de leche is condensed milk, but in a carmel consistency. add this with two nice cookies, and you have an Alfajor, a tasty treat very popular in Buenos Aires.
Carne/Meat: A typical Argentina dinner, around 10 or 11 at night, is meat, and more meat. I did try this, it was the first time eating meat in a while but I am glad I did, as food is a very important part of experiencing a culture. We had steak, the intestine, liver, and I tried blood sausage, which was a little much for me.

LA GENTE/THE PEOPLE
I was mistaken for being argentine 3 times. People asked me for directions, once in a restaurante "do you work here?", etc. It's nice to known you don't look horribly like a tourist sometimes, but this would NEVER happen in Ecuador. In Argentina, there is a strong influence and large population of italian and german immigrants, therefore, the race in Argentina is more white. I found the people to be friendly once you talked with them, but seemed a bit snobbish and New Yorkish, just walking on the street, very much into what they were doing, on their own agenda. For this, I started to miss Ecuador and there people there a bit toward the end. So, the trip was amazing, and really interesting to see a very different and more developed country in South America. Don't worry I am bringing home some dulce de leche!!