Tuesday July 31, 2007

Up by 8 am and feeling a bit better. I wonder if I got a cold on the airplane or on the packed subways? Who can know? We walked around the area this morning looking for Av. Scalabrini where the wool is supposed to be located. However, we walked the wrong direction as my map reading skills sucked this morning. No matter, we found a great breakfast place for an American breakfast at 14.5 pesos. This included cafe con leche, scrambled eggs and ham, orange juice, toast and marmalade. For two this is about $10 total.

We went downtown about 12:30 pm and explored around the region of the language school. Before class we tanked up on high test coffee. I had a double espresso with cream...what a buzz.

Language school was fun for the second day. I hope after two weeks I'll be able to converse adequately. I may be expecting too much. I'll do my "homework" in the morning.

Dave and I walked to the obalisk to kill time because it is impossible to get on the subway. He already had a pickpocket steal his new digital camera. They unzipped his fanny pack and took it without him feeling it. I will need to be totally vigalent from now on. We at fugazetta pizza and beer at a great place called the Valerio Cafe on the corner of Esmeralda and Lavalle. We are finally decoding the pizza. Fugazza is just onions and olive oil on pizza crust. Fugazza con queso adds cheese. Fugazetta is a pocketed pizza filled with cheese and onios and spices. They really load you up on the cheese. They do not skimp like USA pizzas. However, we tried to get just a tomato sauce and cheese pizza but have not yet hit the formulas. We tried a pizza nopliatano but this has cheese and tomato slices and olive oil and garlic. It seems you need to order a mozerella pizza to get what we have been seeking. Time to move onto different foods! :)

We got on the subway about 7:30 pm but they are still packed and it is Winter Holiday. When they all return to work, I wonder how packed they will all be?

Of additional interest is the availability of pressurized bottles of water to make your own seltzer water. The taste is refreshing and while we can buy sparkling water in the USA, I have never seen this product which is superior. Probably the lawyers prevent this being available as they would sue the manufacturers and store should one explode and scare or injure a person. We are clearly over-regulated.

Start of Language School 7/30/07

Today was our first experience with the language school. Our teacher is a college literature professor named Diego and is a good teacher and very patient. We started from essentially no knowledge and progressed rapidly to essentially no knowledge plus a little. :)

School ends at the rush hour commute and we tried to get on the subway but this prooved to be impossible. The cars were totally full and when the doors open, more people try to get in. There were people partially hanging out when the train (el tren) started to roll. Dave and I just turned around and left to walk ( al piedra) towards the monument at Av. 9 de Julio and Av. Corrientes.

It was pretty early to eat and the major restaurants were closed still. We wallked up Corrientes towards Montevideo where Earline and I stayed last year and found a restaurant in a small court where I had spinache ravioli and Dave tried a club sandwich. Washed down with a very expensive Modelo Negro imported beer that cost 10 pesos each. You can buy a whole liter of Quillmes beer in the supermarket for about 3.5 pesos.

We walked over to the D subway line, encountered a street demonstration concerning children and came back to the apartment. On the way, we tried to buy a take out pizza with tomato sauce and cheese. We ordered Pizza Napolitano thinking this was the one but it came with garlic, olive oil, tomato slices and cheese. It is tough to figure the correct pizza here.

Interesting Foreign Food

I think the marketers might want to rethink the name of this food item for the American market should they wish to expand there.

-Lee

SUnday 7/29/07 - San Telmo Faire

Sunday is the day of the large antique and crafts faire in San Telmo. It is supposed to start at 10 am but it really doesn't get going until after lunch. The morning is too cold for the venders to be out on the streets. We had a local breakfast of cafe con leche with three media lunas at the local pizza place for 4.5 pesos each. We discovered how to ride the subway from Plaza Italia to Independencia where we were able to walk a few blocks to the faire which is on Defensa Street.

There are the usual assortment of tango dancers, mimes, crafts people and many antiques. We browsed for a bit and bought a few trinkets but there was nothing of particular interest. It is a great place to buy tourist gifts for the people back home if you are so inclined.

During my honeymoon last year (luna de miel), Earline and I ate lunch in a little place at 475 Humberto Primo where a great tango singer/guitarist was performing. I found on the internet that Ezequiel Camacho was playing there again. Dave and I made a point to see him perform again during lunch. I bought another CD from him as he is an exceptional singer.

If ever you had a need for an antique seltzer bottle, this faire is the place to buy it. Other things of interest might be a custom fillette sign painted while you wait or jewelry made of the national stone called Rodochrosite. http://www.capecodrocks.com/rhodochrosite.htm

Back at the apartment by 4 pm for a nap. We old farts need these things. No plans to go out later this evening. Tomorrow is the first day of language school.

Saturday July 28, 2007

We got up at 8am. We decided to walk to the Japonese Gardens today (Jadins Japonica). On the way, we had a tasty breakfast at a corner cafe called Cafe de Botanico on the corner of Santa Fe and the street at the end of the botanical gardens. (3797 Ave. Sante Fe) The breakfast consisted of coffee con leche, orange juice, media lunas with melted ham and cheese inside and a small pastry filled with dulce de leche.

We then walked Ave. Liberatore, which has great apartments, many next the the large park called Parque 3 Februaro. They seem to name these things after big land take overs. This was the date they over threw the big land barron who owned a large ranch (estancia) that made up what is now the largest barrio in BA, Palermo. Part of that land became the park. The Japonese Gardens were quite beautiful and cost 5 pesos admission. It was a tribute to the Japonese who came to Buenos Aires.

After touring this park, we walked back to our apartment but stopped for a late lunch at Comodines, located at Guemes 4400 (Tel 4832 8282). We had a brochette of lomo (beef), papas fritas, a submarino which did not come with coffee. I think you have to order a coffee submarino if you want the experience of expresso with a chocolate bar submerged in it. It is also nice to order agua con gas (sparkling water) to finish the meal. Cost, about $10/person.

After a nap to recharge the batteries, Dante came over to learn about the Apple laptop I brought for him. We then ventured out at 11 pm for a local pizza in Palermo. The streets were alive with people at that time of the evening.

Friday July 27, 2007 - Puerto Madero

After getting home from the Nino Bien milonga at 3:30 am this morning, the old body could not arise until 10 am. Dave and I decided to get breakfast downtown rather than eat locally. Besides, we needed to go visit the Acadamie of Buenos Aires to arrange a start of our language school on Monday.

We ate breakfast at the Poker Cafe located at 111 Pelligrini which is found by walking from the main subte station (Carlos Pelligrini) and heading to Plaza de Mayo. We ordered an Americano breakfast for 16 pesos and this included eggs, ham, toast, fruit, coffee con leche, cookies and various breads.

The language school was located at Hipolito Yurigoyen 571 4th floor. We met the secretary, Sylviana, who showed us the classrooms and answered questions until the owner, Utz Federico Hoeser came in. We paid $640 US for the two of us to receive lessons 4 hrs daily, five days a week for two weeks. It turns out that there will probably only be the two of us in the class so it is like having private lessons.

We then decided to explore the Puerto Madero area. This was an area where there are a series of docks (diques) that had large cranes to unload ships. This has turned into a tourist area now and old wharehouses are now condos, office buildings and restaurants. High rise condos and hotels are being built in the area that is booming.

I looked at a condo building that I visited last August called Chateau, and prices for a two bedroom unit with maid quarters of 153 meters squared (1377 sq ft) run $465k plus $25k for a parking place and 9 pesos/meter squared/month for facility fees ($1377/mo)that include spas, tennis courts, pools, etc. You have a private elevator and entry lobby. Very nice on paper but one wonders about the government stability. Taxes are roughly 1% per year.

Dave and I then decided to check out the building next door. I gasped when told the units START at $2 million US dollars. We fled from there and decided to take the subte back to Palermo where we grabbed a late lunch at "El Galeon" on 4002 Sante Fe Ave. The food was great and reasonably priced.

Nap time until 7 pm and then our friend Dante Proano, the airport taxi guy came over for a computer lesson. I brought him my old Mac G3 Powerbook so he could view his emails and website without going to the local locatorios where internet access can be had for 1.5 pesos/hr.

Bedtime 12:35 am. Tomorrow we plan to explore the gardens in Palermo. More later.

July 26, 2007

This is our second day in BA and I am still out of whack with the time change being five hours earlier than California time. I got up at 8 am and we left the apartment at about 10 am to enjoy a traditional breakfast of cafe con leche (coffee and milk) and three media luna pastries. This was sufficient to allow us to get on the subte (subway) to travel downtown to the Carlos Pelligrini stop at the world's widest street, Avenue 9 de Julio.

We walked around to find an old classical tango placed called the Confiteria Ideal where I collected a tango map. We then walked the entire length of Florida Street that represents where the wealth and tourists shop. At the Galleria Galacia, we enjoyed a submarino which is a coffee with a submerged chocolate bar. Yummy!

We walked throught the PLaza San Martin, who represents what George Washing does to our country. From there we hoofed it to the cemetary at Recolleta. This is a huge collection of mausoleums of the rich and famous and includes the grave of Eva Peron who is laid to rest in a non descript tomb under her family name of Duarte. The grave was covered with flowers which demonstrates how much she is still loved by the people of Argentina.

We wandered through a small artesan gathering and then hunger drove up to a small pizza place called Puerto Montt located on San Vincinte Lopez near the cemetary wall. Great food with unusual pizza. It had hearts of palm, olives, hard boiled eggs, carrots, ham, tomatoes, cheese and ranch dressing. We washed this down with a great dark beer by Eisenbeck.

We then treked to the D subte line to return to our apartment for a nap to prepare for the evening milonga at Nino Bien which starts near midnight. How these people do this, amazes me.

Tomorrow, we will seek out the location of the language school.

Arrival in BA

We arrived to a cold BA about 9:30 am. Dante Proano picked us up at the airport and we v entured to the apartmena t at 2310 THames #15. This is pronounced Thomas rather than "tames". The apartment is on the top flood and has one small space heater for the living room area.

We spent quite some time trying to get on the internet and I finally was partially successful but Dave still canb't power up his computer. Tomorrow, we will need to look for a three wire adapter to see if that will work for him. The only email I can connect with is the ldgriff@earthlink.net

I sent two notes to my wife, Earline but don't know if she received them yet. I didn't want her to worry. Dave was unsuccessful in using his cell phone even though he was told by his provider that it would work.

We ate at a great parilla restaurant in Palermo SOHO called La Escondida, located at Costa Rica 4464. A great bottle of wine, salads and bifi de lomo and provaletta was had from less than $40 for three people.

Time for bed.

Day Minus One and Counting

Here I am 24 hours from flight time out of SFO airport. I have packed two suitcases, one carry on and a portable laptop for Dante, my Argentine friend. Last minute things to attend to yet are buying a new pair of comfortable walking shoes as Dave and I plan a lot of hoofing around the city. I have my iPOD, PDA, snacks, voltage convertor (if it works), and keys to the rented apartment. I am certain I will have forgotten many things but with the wired world, I can continue to "take care of business."

Trip Background

Because Earline (my wife) and I enjoyed Buenos Aires (BA) so much when we went there for two weeks last August on our honneymoon, I wanted to return again this Summer to see if it still held the same magic as it did the first time. There are really several reasons for this trip at this time. First, I want to see if the magic is the same before considering any investment in property for future part-time residence there. Second, if Earline and I really want to live there then one of us really needs to learn to speak more than pidgeon Spanish. (Engspan more than Spanglish). Thus I want to attend language school in BA for intensive learning for at least a few weeks to get a good start. I never took Spanish in High School and my German does not serve me well. Surprisingly, my Latin studies do provide some basis for learning the language. The problem is when you get older, the brain has a more difficult time in retaining new information. Thirdly, I want to study some more tango to add to my existing knowledge of the dance.

Unfortunately, Earline cannot go with me in the Summertime as she must work. I on the other hand, act as "Mr. Mom" to her 15 year old son, Stephen, and can only travel in the Summer. Becasue I was not keen on travelling alone, I asked, begged, and prodded my brother Dave to accompany me. He finally got permission from his wife and thus the kernel of a plan was formed.

After buying airtickets that were not refundable, the die was cast, so to speak. Rapidly following, was the r ental of a two bedroom apartment in the Palermo area of BA and arrangements with a language school (info@academiabuenosaires.com). I corresponded with two students who appeared to enjoy their training at the school. In addition, this particular school also provides training in tango if desired. The school is also an easy communte via the subway (subte) from Palermo.

Dave and I leave on Tuesday, July 24, 2007 and will leave BA on August 21, 2007. Since David lives in Florida, we plan to meet in Houston on the evening of July 24 to start our adventure.

Earline is requesting that I return with a provoletta, some special provolone cheese and some colored wool skeins at the minimum. A provoletta is a cast iron flat griddle with handle that you place on a ba rbeque to grill provolone cheese. During our honeymoon trip, we attended a cooking class to learn to be an Asador (grill chef). This grilled provolone was one of the dishes prepared. The cheese is dipped in special Argentine sauces and is delicious.

-Lee