On Wednesday we met up with Steve and Cali in La Recoleta for some sight seeing around Buenos Aires. The day started with Kavita and my first solo cab ride from Palermo to another barrio. The driver didn't speak any English but through the use of some broken Spanish and some keywords we were able to direct him to our destination: Cementerio de la Recoleta-the oldest cemetery in Buenos Aires. It houses the mausoleums of the richest and most powerful figures from Argentina and its sheer size-13.5 acres-is staggering. We wandered among the tombs for a couple of hours, taking note of former Argentine presidents, statesmen and even coming across Eva Peron's final resting place. Near one mausoleum Cali heard a kitten meowing frantically. We found that the kitten had somehow gotten inside the tomb and was unable to get back out. Cali and Steve performed a daring rescue attempt that resulted in freeing the entombed prisoner and setting her loose on the grounds.

Feeling like true heroes, we sat down to a grand lunch at a nearby restaurant. I was pleased to find that there were other types of beer on tap as the endless rounds of Quilmes was starting to feel a bit like the old days of too much Kingfisher in India. We had a tasty IPA and some cheeseburgers (with ham, bacon and egg) before moving on to our next destination.

After lunch we set off to see Floralis Generica-a huge steel sculpture of a flower that opens at dawn and closes at dusk. At 20 meters high the sculpture is quite a sight to behold. The artist commissioned Lockheed Martin to build the giant petals, giving the piece a very sleek, futuristic look. Sadly, we were there too early to see it actually close but it was interesting to see the way that it faces the sun while open. There are also lights on the inside that will make it glow at night.

Following our trip to the flower we took on the ambitious task of walking all the way back to our neighborhood. At an estimated 23 city blocks, it was a long way after a day of sightseeing but I enjoyed seeing more of the city and we were able to cut through the Palermo Horticultural Gardens or as Cali has dubbed it, Cat Park. There are an amazing number of cats that just hang out in this park. People will stroll through and feed or play with them and the rest of the time the cats just live here. It's a nice place and quite relaxing, but I'm still tempted to film a horror movie called "Escape from Cat Park" that would take place in the gardens after dark.

More photos from Cementerio de la Recoleta follow.

Back in Buenos Aires

We returned from Uruguay last night. While in Uruguay we spent time in two cities, Colonia and Montevideo (the capital). Colonia is a beautiful little city on the coast, with a range of resorts and beaches. We actually took a very modern ferry from Buenos Aires to Colonia. The city reminded me a little bit of Monterey, California. I really loved Colonia and feel it would be a wonderful place to own a small art shop and retire. I can dream can't I! :)

Montevideo is much smaller than Beunos Aires and my impression was it was not as lively either. It's not exactly the city that never sleeps, like Buenos Aries. When we arrived in town and went out for dinner around 10-11pm, most places were closed. I did enjoy walking around Montevideo in the afternoon. Like Buenos Aires, there were a lot of unique shops and craft vendors along the streets.

Here are some photos of Justin and I around Colonia.



























Today we spent most of the day around Recoleta. We are off to a birthday party tonight in the city for Steve and Cali's friend Aiden. He is here from New Zealand and works at the Spanish school, Steve and Cali attend. I will have to write more about Recoleta and our evening adventures tomorrow!

Below are photos taken at La Recoleta Cementario and around Recoleta.

Uruguay Bound

Sunday was a mayoral election day in Buenos Aires. This resulted in some shops being closed and no alcohol being served from Saturday night at 8pm until Sunday night at 8pm. So we weren't able to have our regular 2:00pm lunch and cerveza at an outdoor cafe but we certainly made the most of the day. We ventured into the downtown area of Buenos Aires and wandered the markets looking at antiques, crafts and clothes shops. There were many street performers and we were able to see some traditional gaucho dancing in some locations. In the evening, after some cafe con leche, we met up with Steve and Cali's friends from their language program for a large feast at a local pizzeria. It's been fantastic getting to know them and they all have really interesting stories to tell.

Today we take a ferry across the Rio de la Plata to Colonia, Uruguay. We are looking forward to wandering this small, old town before moving on to Montevideo in the evening.

Saturday - Sunny and 60 Degrees

Day 2 is opening to more sunshine and cool breezes! The forecast for tomorrow is sunny and 64. If this is winter in BA then sign me up! This is a view from the balcony of our apartment. We are in a beautiful apartment building with all the furnishings we need for an extended stay. Yesterday we walked to the supermarket and bought some staples so we would be able to make breakfasts in the morning and have tea in the afternoon.

Walking around the city yesterday felt like being back in Europe. The streets and architecture remind me of Spanish and Italian cities I visited while backpacking. It's fun finding myself trying to translate menus and signs again. My brief background studying Spanish makes certain words and phrases pop out and allows me to at least follow the direction of conversations if not their full meaning. I snapped this photo while walking around Palermo. It's very clear that this is a ritzy area of B.A. but we are finding that the exchange rate makes things quite affordable for travelers!

One other great thing to note about Argentina: there are four recognized meals during the day. I'll describe them later but for now just rest assured that more eating is always a good thing.

We are off to meet Steve and Cali at Plaza Cortazar for lunch!

The real city that never sleeps

Once Justin and I got settled in our apartment yesterday we headed out to explore Palermo. We ate at a lovely cafe, shopped around at boutiques and even went grocery shopping. In the evening we headed to Steve and Cali's place for a small party followed by our first night on the town.

We've already met some great friends, thanks to Steve and Cali's Spanish class. We met a German couple who have been backpacking around the world for the last 7 months, their total trip will be 10 months so they are on the last leg of their world tour. They are making their way up South America before they return home but have already been to Asia, Australia and New Zealand. We also met one of Steve and Cali's Spanish teachers, he's been living in Buenos Aires for two years but prior to that had been traveling the world for six years. He's been to more than 90 countries! Talking to our new friends last night, I realize how little of the world I have seen. I can only hope that I have the opportunities to keep traveling too!

Justin outside Steve and Cali's apartment.









Gathering at Steve and Cali's apartment.










Justin and I at Madagascar Bar.

Uriarte Street

Justin and I have arrived safe and sound! Our flight was pretty uneventful, and although we had been traveling a little over 14 hours to get here as Justin mentioned, it was cake compared to the 21 plus hour flight to India.

When we left customs, we were happy to find Dante our cab driver was right on time with a sign with Justin's name it. He brought us straight to our apartment on Uriarte Street. The apartment is fantastic! It's in a very cute neighborhood and Plaza Cortazar is just four blocks away!

As Justin said, he did get right to the tech set up for the apartment. The apartment did come with wifi but Justin tested everything out to make sure we were techtastic. So we are all set!

Safe and Sound in Buenos Aires

We landed this morning under beautiful sunny skies in Buenos Aires. The flight was long, but nothing compared to the flight to India.

We are now in our apartment in the Palermo district getting organized for the week ahead. Getting internet access was obviously priority #1 for me. It's a nice apartment and the barrio that we are in seems very trendy. Now if I can just figure out how to get the Blogger UI to stop showing up in Spanish, I should be all set!