Blog VII - Jennifer Visits B.A.

Seven full days in Buenos Aires gave Jennifer a real opportunity to get to know the city.

What did she think?

Using excerpts from her Facebook page, here is an overview of her stay here. Enjoy!

B.A./Day I – Having finally arrived, after 18 hours of flight time, we did some much-needed catching up, and then were off to stock up on all kinds of fresh produce and meats for the Protein Princess, that's moi . 

There are AMAZING, super fantastic, fresh produce shops EVERYWHERE! It's HEAVEN for my senses... the colours...the smells, the textures, the natural shapes of real food! 

....Supper was provided by little place called Pampa Linda, a restaurant  where the food, service and atmosphere are fantastic!  It was actually their anniversary that night, so things were very festive.

Linda means "beautiful" in Spanish.

Day II – Imagine, I woke up listening to green parrots flirt and argue outside.  Wow! Then we all set off on foot for a day of exploring this boisterous, colourful and fascinating mecca. 

We began with a few mandatory stops like the big, beautiful cathedral where Jose de San Martin rests (he and Simon Bolivar were responsible for liberating most of South America from Spain) and the Pink Casa where the president fulfills some of her duties. 

Rumour has it that the reason it is pink is because the paint used was mixed with bovine blood.

Next, we headed San Telmo, only to find the biggest market in Buenos Aires. Near the downtown core, it seemed to go on forever, with vendors on both sides. 

In fact, it took us a good 3 hours to go end to end. 

 I ran out of my spending cash way too early,....

 ....too many nice earrings! hahahaha.

Along the way we witnessed some amazing local musicians....

                                  ....other street talent,  

             

....and, of course, a tango demonstration to live music.  

Day III - We hit up a (possibly illegal) money exchange spot to change some US$ for Argentinian pesos. 

The exchange rate is always way better than the official government rate.

By the way, there's almost no coinage here so you always end up with a HUGE WAD of cash.

After, we were off to the playground (a local gym called Always) and then home.

These days, our apartment is where we always return for all things A.C. and H2O.

Did I mention, it's pretty frickin hot here, so re-hydrating is critical. 

Day IV - It's Saint Patty's Day and after our breakfast of champions, prepared by yours truly......, 

..... we hopped in a cab to start our day with an English tour of the famous Recoleta Cemetery. 

If you haven't heard of it, you have definitely seen pictures of it at some point in your life, I promise.

Recoleta Cemetary is located in one of the more posh neighbourhoods of Buenos Aires. 

It is a beautiful, history-filled cemetery, where mausoleums house Argentina's greatest leaders, individuals of notable influence, and the very rich...may they rest in peace.... all in mausoleums. 

As a result, it is an amazing display of 19th and 20th century funeral art, family crypts and architecture. 

Though it was hot as all hell, there was a cool, peaceful and almost eerie breeze that swept through, here and there, between the rows upon rows of tombs.

Dinner was extra special tonight as we decided it would be stupid not to take advantage of the amazing view and charcoal BBQ set-up on the rooftop. 

So the word for tonight's dinner was meat...veggies...and grill, grill, grill!

Day V - Hallelujah, where do I even begin?!!!

When you think of this beautiful country, Argentina, the first things that come to mind are wonderful wine, beautiful steak, emotional soccer, and of course, Evita. 

But what about the great, fast-paced sport of Polo? Might you be surprised if I were to say that the world's best Polo players come from, well, where else,... HERE!

I… GOT... TO... PLAY... POLO with one of them!

On a real polo pony, with a real mallet, on a real pitch (playing field), and I even got to learn from one of Argentina's top pros! HEHEHE!

And how happy a girl was I today? Over the moon under the bright, hot sun!

After a 75-minute drive out of the city and into the Pampas, we pulled up to a gated mecca of huge open fields, long windy driveways, gigantic villas in the background, and beautiful horses everywhere. 

I knew we'd arrived. Puesto Viejo, a 15-year-old Private Polo Club where some of Argentina's finest and top pro players stable their horses and perfect their game.

It is an equine enthusiast's paradise, for anyone seeking a peaceful, chic, classy, yet adrenaline-filled escape from the city. Honestly. I am pretty sure my mouth was gaping from the moment we drove through the gates to the moment we drove off the property some 8 hours later.

We were so lucky yesterday as it was just the 3 of us. We quite literally had the WHOLE place to ourselves. Which is pretty much unspeakable!!! I don't know what the acreage of the club is, but "gargantuan" doesn't even really begin to describe just how vast, and expansive this private and elaborate property is.

Our day started with some delicious coffee and some waiver signing, you know, to sign our lives away in case we died while doing one of the most amazing, yet wildest activities, ever!

Then, we hopped on some old-school one-speed upright bikes and pedaled about a kilometre down the driveway to the stable with our instructor-for-a-day, Argentine Polo pro Julio Casares....

What a name, right?!!!

I immediately knew upon meeting him, that he was going to be a great teacher. He just had this infectious essence of life and oozed with passion for his sport.

After a tour of the barn (housing some 300 horses)...yes, you heard me right...we were introduced to polo mallets. Julio had us stand on 2 foot high sitting stools to practice the 3 different swings used in polo, the half swing, the full swing and the defensive swing.

Not easy....especially on a moving horse.

Mom decided to play it safe and act as official photographer and videographer for the day, while Dad and I took lessons and learned the basics of the sport.

Once on our horses, Julio taught Dad some of the fundamentals of staying on a moving horse...yuk, yuk. I, of course, just wanted to get out on those HUGE, OPEN and so GREEN fields and get swinging and moving!

My horse was a grey mare, extremely pleasant and likable for a hot-blooded, thoroughbred female...

.....while Dad's was friendly, patient, and blessed mostly with one speed.

Lunch was a delicious gastronomical experience featuring what else....beautiful Argentine steak and delicious Mendoza red wine. Green parrots and other native Argentinian birds kept our ears busy throughout lunch, while the grounds canine watchdogs lay at our feet under a beautiful outdoor gazebo-style canopy and the lush green trees. 

There was an almost perfect, cool, calming breeze, one I haven't felt in a long time, maybe ever. It felt almost wrong. 

I felt like I had was taking the place of some pristine, elite princess in a far off country. But yes, it was me....

.....incredibly lucky and grateful to have been in that place, in that moment,...

....with those people – my family and this inspiring polo pro/instructor and with such breath-taking landscape all around me.

After some great talk and much-needed time for digestion, we returned on our bikes to the stable for our second lesson....

......well more of a mock scrimmage full of dirty language from Mademoiselle Austin!!! Yuk Yuk ....whenever Julio managed to sneak around me, or hook my mallet in a defensive move. 

He played against Dad and me and admittedly did a great job of allowing us to take the lead, then tie it up, then “magically” beat him 6-5 in the end.

Our 50 some minute game was probably the 50 “funnest” minutes I have had in a VERY VERY long time. 

The thrill, the fun, the laughter, the adrenaline the endorphin releases... UNREAL!

As the game was winding down, I didn't want it to end. I couldn't believe that I had had the opportunity to spend a day doing this.

Every little detail of the day seemed perfect, and completely unforgettable. 

I felt blessed, despite not being a religious person in the slightest.

After our final dismount, we returned to the hotel/villa , showered, enjoyed coffee and fresh-made cakes and then were whisked off by our driver to Pitch 4 (Cacha 4) to watch our instructor Julio and his team play in real tournament play. 

Watching him play with his teammates, took my breath away. The speed, the sounds, the insanely fast pace of the horses galloping around the field, felt in our feet through the ground.

This game is so fast and the field so long, that a one-hour match requires 5 horse changes for EACH rider!

That means every rider uses 6 different horses in a game! 

The number of groomsmen and horses tied along the outskirts of the field was wild and yet incredible. 

Watching that game and the skill-level of these pro players made me realize just how much time, effort, money, dedication and practice must have been required to get these men and women (yes, mixed teams) to this level of sport.

And further made me wonder why this was not a recognized Olympic sport, and yet “table tennis,” ie – ping-pong, is???

Regardless, after the match, some more photos and some final, long, thoughtful gazes around the grounds, we jumped back into our driver's red van and shot off back to the core of Buenos Aires.

I owe my parents – Linda and Charles Austin, the biggest GRACIAS in the world. Yesterday was a day I will NEVER EVER forget. It wouldn't have been possible without their research, organization and pesos! I am a lucky girl, that's for sure! 

I am also a very proud daughter, for my dad was not originally planning on partaking in the riding part of the day, due to his allergies of horses. 

Thankfully, I happened to have allergy pills with me which helped him get through the experience sans reactions. 

The smile on his face never wavered, never left for a second. 

Mom's photos and videographing made the whole day a real memory, as you, my friends, would not be seeing evidence of it, without her fine and dedicated efforts.

I can honestly say that giving myself this trip to Argentina, as a 30th birthday gift, was the best birthday gift I have ever received or experienced. 

And this day, learning the “sport of kings,” made me feel like one hell-of-a-queen!!! 

No question, it is one of the top 3 most memorable experiences of my life, so far.

Day VI - Today was intended to be a bit of a quieter day following yesterday's excitement at Puesto Viejo. After breakfast, we headed down to San Martin Square, where there was an international food festival.

The sights and smells that filled the air made you want to fill your belly and dance around the square amongst the array of multicultural booths and curious citizens.

Later, we meandered into a little art gallery boutique where I purchased a small but beautiful painting from a local artist of this amazing city.

Later, we took in a local live act at a Jazz bar called Thelonious Club, where, oddly enough, an old-school blues band was performing....but the week was catching up to us so we only lasted until 11:00.

Day VII – My last full day in Buenos Aires. I think the name of this ciudad (city) best captures the nature of this day, here in Argentina. Buenos Aires means beautiful air(s). 

And today we were graced with a day full of beautiful winds and breezes, as we spent a relaxing day perusing, coffee drinking, working-out, and of course, some time up on the roof. 

And why not, the clouds had all scurried away and it was sunny again!

There, hours away from flight time, I couldn't help but appreciate how much this place had grown on me. 

 The fluid, exotic flow of the language, the beautiful people, the sounds, smells and sights, forever capturing your attention, are at every corner you turn... 


....and that breeze...

.....that calming, soothing, refreshing wind that always seems to find you at just the right moment.

As a grand finale to my week here, we headed off to Parcque Centenario for an evening of modern contemporary ballet followed by a tango ballet,...

...something I am sure one would only find here in Argentina. 

The music and dancing  by were mesmerizing.

One last thought, before I say good night... thinking back to earlier today when I was laying up on the rooftop, I can't help but be reminded of how much it felt once again, like I was in a dream … 

...it is hard to capture with just a few hundred words just how magical and raw and alive a totally new place, a totally new world can make you feel and think.

The only way to really learn about oneself and grow as an individual is to put yourself in new situations and take advantage of opportunities to test yourself, to see who you really are in a completely new and foreign environment.

If this trip has made me realize anything, it is that your life is only as big of an adventure novel as the pages you choose to fill your book with. 

We may not have absolute control over every aspect of our lives, but we do decide what we do with our time and who we spend it with. 

A wise man I've known a very long time used to preach to me that "life is all about choices". 

So today, the last day of this short, but rich chapter of my life story, I leave you with a question and a little food for thought. What kind of book do you want you life story to be?

Hasta La Vista, Everyone!

Blog VI- Jennifer's Question

Buenos Aires: 

Somewhere between Paris and Havana

In her email, Jennifer, our daughter, wanted to know what Buenos Aires was really like? Here's an

attempt at an answer.

With all of its old world sensibilities and Latin panache, Buenos Aires is, without a doubt, the most European city in the western hemisphere. 

Sure, you notice all the French and Italian architecture immediately...

See Linda at San Telmo?

....but once you've lived here a bit, the real flavours of this great city start to percolate through....

...not only in the incredible week-end markets,.... 

... or in those casually sophisticated cafés you find everywhere,....

......but also in the open theaters, and the stadiums too. 

Yes, and it's also here that you'll find the two great passions of Argentina: the Tango and “Fútbol”.

But, there's so much more.

Just step into an avant-garde gallery situated in some exquisite example of European architecture, and chances are that on your way out, you'll probably notice...

....that the building next door is a dilapidated, run-down cousin, that's become an eye-sore...

...probably wearing last night's edition of Graffiti Express, ... which, I might add, is legal here.

How can this be?

Simply put, Jennifer, in every other way but geographically, Buenos Aires lies somewhere between Paris and Havana.

The Rise

It's magnificent buildings and boulevards were all erected at the end of the 19^th century, an incredible period during which Buenos Aires became one of the richest cities in the world. 

El Congresso, the Argentine Congress or Parliament

Thanks to it's the country's agricultural treasure house, the Pampas, incredible wealth was amassed,...

....and poured into a a building spree that lasted 35 years..

....leaving hundreds upon hundreds of very beautiful buildings...

The most wonderful "Teatro Colon", the 3rd best Opera
House in the entire world.

many of which housed a cultural scene that rivaled that of London and Paris. 

In short, Buenos Aires became a master piece, having its own place on the world stage.

The Fall

Run down and dilapidated and next door to the Parliament.

However, the 20^th century was not so kind...

and the once-proud flag whose blue and white stripes boast an optimistic image of the sun in the centre....

..... was suddenly the world-wide symbol for real economic chaos and a succession of terrible military dictatorships. 

Ten meters from the Argentinian Parliament.

The crash was hard, sudden, and sadly has proven to be almost permanent,...

...while the dictatorships, now in the past, used their military power, as well as that of the church and business, to suppress...everything.  Not only were they...

....cruel, they were moreover, devastatingly effective in extinguishing any trust these 44 million Argentinians once had in their institutions. 

This is the way of the Argentine people.

The City Today

B.A. is a special place and “Porteños” (as people here call themselves) are sexy, alive and most of all, supremely confident. 

In fact, there is a vibe that works here.  Like a very seductive Tango, B.A. takes you under its spell, pouring out all of its passion and regret, beauty and ugliness, and yes, even sorrow and fleeting joy.  And somehow, you love it.

Indeed, to live in B.A. is to realize that the city itself ( its past, and its future), is... a Tango.

Otras pasiones in B.A. 

(More passion, please!)

BBQ's are everywhere...and deliciouis

Beef or “Bife”

Argentinians, those great eaters of beef, mix no spice into their BBQ. Ironically the Argentine stomach cannot tolerate spice. Don't ask for it rare either. The secret of the Argentine steak is twofold:

- the quality of the “Bife” coming off of the Pampa

- and the slow, very slow, oh so slow, cooking.

Ice Cream?....Beer?....Anyone?

You only have to walk 100 yards to realize that you've already passed two ice cream shops and four cafés where they serve liters of beer, draped in white linen, and chilled in a bucket like iced champagne. 

And if you listen closely, you might hear a discussion about one of the recent outdoor orchestra recitals, or operas, or maybe even about last evening's ballet. Simply put, it's not just about soccer, culture is in the city's DNA.

“Portenos, the beautiful ones”.

One has only to look at fashion in this city to understand that cutting a good figure is important, all the while, bringing a touch of edgy modernity and hope to this city of faded elegance.

Looking smart, shapely, and sexy here is crucial. And speaking of “cutting a good figure”, really conservative estimates have one in thirty sporting some form of lift, nip, or tuck.

Dogs

AND OH, BY THE WAY, the animal of choice in B.A. is canine. Here the very friendly B.A. dog is king and a status symbol to boot. How does it work? The more dogs you own, the better; and the better manicured your dog, the higher your social standing. Now all together...Bark! Because they sure do.

Dog walking is an honorable career choice here.  You may own
one, but you may not have time to walk one. 

Ya, “Butt”...

The obsession with dogs comes at a huge cost. There is dog...mmm...caca everywhere. Those that measure this kind of thing estimate that 30 tons of excrement are coiled on to Buenos Aires streets every day. But hey, just another reason to call Buenos Aires, the Paris of South America.

But in the face of financial and political corruption and mismanagement, can B.A. survive?

Once the world’s 10^th richest country (1913), Argentina now languishes in 55th place below Gabon and Antigua. And the sores and scars of the past are everywhere to be seen. So, despite any improvement, it's all still a toss-up.

And through it all, Buenos Aires manages to maintain its grace. 

I like to think of it as a rugged, yes, somewhat aged, but still energetic and good looking city, with a lot of great stories to tell.

Something, some of us might relate to. 

Linda wants B.A. to be a phoenix. 

 Well, ya, me too.

And if so, could it ever be the phoenix we all want... a sustainable metropolis and yet, still one of the friendliest big cities in the world?  Let's keep our fingers are crossed.

And hey, I know that we didn't speak about the wine. That's because we'll be heading up to Mendoza soon.  Some Argentines are suggesting that we move on to Salta from there, but that, we think, will be for next year.

A hugely curious coincidence:

As mentioned, Linda and I have been attending a lot of concerts, one of the most recent being that of the Orquesta Estable del Teatro Colón, at the Eva Peron Amphitheater here in B.A. 

By a fluke flurry of friendly emails, we discovered that our condo owner was not only a musician returning from L.A. but a member of this equivalent of our very own NAC orchestra. 

The fluke? That he performed in the last concert we attended...which I taped in part.

Have a look! He's one of the cellists. We're supposed to meet him soon at one of his concerts.

Just double click the link!  We've made our choice.  Which one do you think he is?

http://youtu.be/_fpkMsuC6rQ

Hosta Luego!!!