Buenos Aires Post II

Pot-Banging – “Cacerolazos

It was after supper and we were just settling in, when like Chinese water torture, an intrusive, repetitive, and very irritating banging grew louder, somewhere out there beyond the balcony. 

Irritating as it was, the beat somehow seemed harmonious and purposeful, and growing ever louder.

Stepping out onto our balcony, I found my Argentinian neighbor armed with a large pot and a wooden spatula, readying to join in.  

What was going on?  Within the quarter hour, all of Palermo seemed to be on their balconies banging pots.  This was our introduction to the the chorus of the “Cacerolazo”. 

Political life in Argentina never gets boring and on this January 20^th,  B.A.'s population was out again, and again, it seems, another Cacerolazo was just confirming Argentine's tenuous relationship to political power.

Be it a protest against political upheaval or the devaluation of the Argentine peso, or, as was the case here, pot-banging accusations that the current president might have been involved in a huge cover-up involving a very recent "suicide", whatever the case, it appears that Cacerolazos are here to stay.   

Argentine Joke

A conversation between two friends:

Jose: Hola, Jaimito. How are you holding out in this latest economic crisis?
Jaimito: Oh, wonderfully! I sleep like a baby.
Jose: Really?
Jaimito: Well, ya! I wake up every three hours crying.

Interested in reading an article about Argentina's economic woes? Here's a link.

http://www.economist.com/node/1010911

The Recoleta Cemetary – All that's missing is the door bell

Taken from McDonalds, just across the road

We had heard about this necropolis, this over-the-top city of the dead with its avenues of incredible mausoleums, both ancient and new,.... and understood that we had to go there.

The Barrio or neighborhood of La Recoleta prides itself on being a monument to the wealthy and powerful, when they're alive.

But the question remains: How does one keep one's status after death?

The answer? 

By taking up residence here in the Cementerio de La Recoleta, this “uber-cemetary”, situated in the very heart of the neighborhood, with its network of avenues and labyrinth of narrow streets .

What a novel idea?

After decades of dining on rich 5-star food, your memory can live on, thanks to a lot of money (and you can't take that with you) and a very fancy ceremony that rolls you right out of that restaurant and right into your new 5-star Recoleta home.

Who gets to live here?

From Evita Peron, to Junta Military Generals, to the Super Wealthy, the “Cementerio” serves not only as a testament to their power but also as “the” symbol of Buenos Aires’ golden age from the turn of 19th and 20th century. Only the finest architects from around the world were ever commissioned to build the incredible miniature churches, chapels and palaces for the mortal remains of Argentina's elite.

Headlines: Feral Cat Has Way With Cemetery Security

Hmmm!  What to do now?

Entry was free but crossing the main gate of the Recoleta cemetery, we found ourselves in the middle of a huge investigation involving a ferret cat and two of Buenos Aires' finest. 

"Breaker...Breaker! Come in Central!

Perplexing problem...please advise!"

Five interesting facts about the cemetery:

1) From street lamps to paved streets, to majestic doors, and stained glass windows, but....

....there were no doorbells, so no one answered.

Take a look at the roof.

Rich or poor, they come
to be with their loved ones

2) The concept of death is very different here and families sometimes like to spend quality time with their departed loved ones, you know, have a glass of wine or just listen to the radio with them. 

 As a result, it is said that some of these mausoleums even have air conditioning.

3)  Most structures had large stair cases leading to the family crypt.

4) Many are new but many are old and decrepit. 

 It isn't unusual to be centimeters from a casket.

5)  Most times here, only the date of their death is mentioned, the belief being that after all, they're nobody when they're born.

Eva Peron's rise to fame and glory was so exceptional, that an exception was made here.

In short, it has been said that the walled 5,5 hectare El Cementerio de la Recoleta”  is one of the three most important graveyards in the world, right along side Pére Lachaise in Paris and the Cimitero di Staglieno in Genoa (Italy). 

To these wandering eyes, that has to be right.

We shall certainly return.

And Just Outside the Walls of the "Cemeneteria"

While inside it's gates, a monotone-coloured parade of amazing tomes and pillars took the lime-lite, the real colour of the day awaited us just outside.

For the next few hours, we were serenaded by musicians........, 

Free Hugs

....hugged by adventurous happy youth, 

...and bathed in the vibrant colours of Argentine artwork....all at the Recoleta Outdoor Market. 

 The only thing missing was a very cold beer....and we didn't have to wait too long for that.  As they say down here:  

¡Salud!

The B.A. Japanese Gardens

One Sunday when the sun was already promising a hot summer's day, we took our first taxi ride. All I said was: “Por favor, nos lleva al Jardín Japonés” and off he went. 

Our driver was in fact of Japanese orgin, a classy guy that hummed to the classical music playing on his radio. Once there, I tipped him so that our bill would round off to 50 pesos, all in all, about $4.00.

El Jardín Japonés commemorates the arrival of many Japanese immigrants over a century ago. 

All of us who crossed those bridges, stepped on those islands, walked those trails or sipped a cup of green tea with jasmine, could feel the close relationship that has been built between these two countries.

Linda and I are great friends of the ginko tree and even have one growing in our front yard. The ginko is a unique species of tree, in fact, it is called a living fossil, because, gifted with the most incredible will to live, it dates back 270 million years.

To that, what we were most impressed with was the presence of three ginko trees, growing from seedlings of ginko trees that survived the bombing of Hiroshima. Just imagine!!! 

 I think that ginko our front yard will outlast us. :)

An encounter with a pickpocket trio –

Linda saves the day – 1000 pesos in pocket

There’s no denying that pickpockets in Buenos Aires are both plentiful and good at their jobs.

Why in 2006, then-First Daughter Barbara Bush was robbed while eating at a restaurant in broad daylight (her purse and cell phone were stolen) despite being surrounded by a detail of Secret Service agents. You just have to respect those kinds of skills! But they hadn't met Linda....yet.

Sure, for as long as people have had pockets there have been pickpockets. 

The “art” is popular because it’s non-violent, doesn’t create a scene, and usually there’s plenty of time for the perpetrator to get away if they don’t pull it off.

Like magic, pick pocketing often relies on misdirection. In other words, you don’t notice that a hand is going into your pocket and your wallet while in a crowded environment, like a subway.

We were on our way down town when at a crowded stop, in walked three young men.  One was dressed in a business suit and carrying a cashmere sweater completely covering his right arm. He stood close to me.

The car lurched forward a bit, only to stop again, leaving the doors open. There was some jostling but Linda was

keeping her eye on the arm covered by the light brown sweater....and by the way, ….what's a guy up to in a suit and sweater in a subway where the temperature is about 100°?

No good, that's what!

As the hand moved toward me, Linda simply slapped it and waved the “naughty, naughty finger” at the “gentleman”. Sleepy Charles, finally looked up only to see the trio running from the car.

Way to go Linda! Did I mention that Linda means “Beautiful” in Spanish?

And Last But Not Least!

And finally, B.A.'s philosophy on dogs: 

we love'em; so we let'em bark ….and bark....and bark!

The morning and evening sessions are so regular that I've actually learned the Spanish word for: "to bark": "Ladrar".

Until next time.

The Austin's Trip To Argentina

Bienvenido a 
Buenos Aire

Welcome to 
Buenos Aires!

Blog 1, 2015

Do you know what Pope Francis, the Queen of the Holland, and Michael Buble's wife all have in common?

You guessed it. They were all born here, in Buenos Aires.

Argentina's capital, Buenos Aires is South America's second largest city (after Greater São Paulo, Brazil). It would be pretty hard to tell that right now because it's summer and like Paris in the summer, most of the population has left on vacation.

Speaking of Paris, B.A.'s nickname is: The Paris of South America.

View from our building

Our Condo

Want to have a look at our new little home-away-from-home. Just click this address once and follow the cues or if you'd like, cut and paste the following address:

http://www.vrbo.com/371311 

We're on the 8^th floor, just one down from the roof-top.  In a few days, we're going to be sending a balsam wood air plane from this vantage point out into the city.  
A request from a friend who gave it to us. 

Our First Weather

At first......, temperatures were uncommonly cool here in B.A. but...
then, quite suddenly, over night in fact, the heat and humidity sky rocketed.  It didn't take long for the city to show its real temperament.  Even the older porteños, that's what the people from Buenos Aires call themselves (people of the port), dropped their conservative formality and started wearing,  well...

You know!! Shorts...Hurray!  

Our First Kiss

Our cab driver was waiting for us at the airport and in no time we were at our condo, where Betty and her daughter Victoria each greeted us... with a kiss. 

Unbeknownst to us, the standard greeting in Argentina is a kiss on one cheek. 

Men kiss women and vice verse, women kiss women, and yes, men kiss men. 

Sooo, watch out when we get back!!

Whether meeting for the very first time or having already seen one another several times in the same day, it's a staple. 

Note that failing to greet each person in a group with a kiss is considered rude.

9 Interesting Tidbits

1) At 15.2 million, nearly 40% of Argentina`s population of more than 40 million lives in the greater Buenos       Aires metropolitan area.

2) There's pretty well no English down here. Linda has become excellent at charades.

3) It's hard to rattle the change in your pocket in B.A. because there probably is none.  Coinage is almost non existent here. Ever since the financial crisis, smart alecs have found ways to make money melting down coins. Even banks only hand out two or three at a time, once convinced you need them, say for a washing machine. I can only imagine what charade Linda used to get that point across? 

4) “Siestas” and “Mañana” really are a way of life down here.

5) Police cars always have their roof lights on. Only when a siren is blasting do you really need to get out of the way.

6) Forecasts for the annual inflation rate in Argentina this year are calling for 40%.  And the Argentinians are starting to feel the pinch. Thanks to the Blue Money Market, a quasi-legal (maybe quasi-illegal) store-front money changing system, you get about 170% of the government-set rate for your American Dollar.  When I left the place the first time, I felt positively giddy.

Taxis are everywhere.

7) Taxi, Taxi. Usually before you can get the second word out, one's there. They are simply everywhere and in great numbers.

8) Graffiti is legal here.


9) Property owners in Buenos Aires  have the responsibility of providing the sidewalks in front of their place of business.  As a result, navigating your way down the “aceras” of B.A. can be adventurous or even dangerous.... enough to have you ending up on your "acera".    Get it???

What we've seen so far:

Due to a really bad flu, we weren't able do all we had planned in this, our first week. We did, however, get into the city via the subway, which by the way, costs an outrageous 30 cents for any distance in one direction.  Here are some pics of what we have seen:

La Casa Rosada - the salmon-colored presidential office at the end of the Plaza de Mayo is said to give off a  special glow at sunset.  It is said to be the result of the old-traditional practice of mixing bovine blood into the paint in order to prevent damage from the effects of humidity.

Sculptors working on a new statue at the back of the "Pink House" 

The Cabildo de Buenos Aires was once the government house of the Vice royalty of the Río de la Plata. Today the building is used as a museum.

The Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral is the main catholic church in Buenos Aires.  And yes, the Pope did work here before he got his new digs.

The inside of the cathedral 

The changing of the guard at the  Mausoleum of General San Martín 

inside the Cathedral.  Note the black sarcophagus in back guarded by three life-size female figures that represent Argentina, Chile and Peru, three of the regions liberated by the General from the Spanish Empire.  

Buenos Aires has a whole new generation of architecture too.

But we still like the old stuff.  This is a view of the ceiling of one of the original  shopping plazas on Florida Avenue, where our current favorite little restaurant is.

The Argentine Military Government instituted a Dirty War from about 1974 until about 1983.  It was in effect a period of state terrorism in Argentina.  Tens of thousands were kidnapped and murdered, thus becoming known as "the disappeared",  in an attempt by the junta to silence the opposition.  This is one of many plaques to be found just off the Plaza del Mayo in memory of one of  those "desaparecidos".

Argentina has not forgotten the War of the South Atlantic (1982) or if you will, the Falklands War. Right in the middle of the Plaza de Mayo, these veterans are allowed to assemble. Books and posters are not uncommon to see either.

In March, 2014 President Christina Fernández de Kirchner visited the Vatican where she pleaded for Vatican intervention on Argentina's behalf.

A little Greek Orthodox in our community that
happens to be Linda's favorite.

A park near by.

No the sign doesn't mean what you think it means! 
It just so happens that "no pises" means
"Don't step on".... the grass.

And finally, a cute sign in a near by public garden.
"How nice it is to read in the botanical gardin."
Both lindo and "linda" mean pretty or nice.

Adios and hasta la vista,

Charles and Linda

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