Buenos Aires, Part 1

The contrast between Mendoza and Buenos Aires couldn´t be more different. We went from a small city feel in the country to a bustling city where a third of the population lives. In addition our group of three became four with the arrival of my college buddy, Matt Faustman. We spent the first day doing a city walk to get a feel for the Buenos Aires and where everything is located. Keeping with the theme throughout South America protesting is very big here and there are paint splashes all over city hall from past rallies. We also learned that in 2001 there were huge protests that resulted in the president stepping down due to the economy. This country has been through so much turmoil in the past 50 years and there is still tension to this day.

One of my highlights for Buenos Aires was an amazing Tango show we saw the first night. I always pictured Tango as a man in tux with a rose in his mouth sticking his arm straight out and prancing around cheek to cheek with his date. That couldn´t be farther from the truth! It requires so much coordination and timing between the two dancers as the float across the floor intertwining legs and spinning each other around. I can honestly say I was entertained for the full show and this is coming from someone who sat through way too many dance recitals at a young age (thank you Jenna).

The other highlight for me is the two soccer matches we went to. The games themselves were alright but listening to the fans cheer at the top of their lungs throughout the games and go back and forth with the opposing fans was awesome. There were banners everywhere, flares burning red and blue and lots of security and barbed wire. We couldn´t leave for a half an hour after the first game got out because we had to wait for the away fans to completely clear the stadium to avoid any fights. The second game was the famous Boca Juniors in a very rough part of town. Boca is the port area at the mouth of the river where a lot of poor Italian immigrants settled. It is known for its tin houses that are painted in all kinds of bright colors left over from ships. Walking around this area in day light is intimidating and they tell tourists to stay on the main streets regardless of the time of day. Before the game started everyone was throwing streamers from the top deck and we helped roll out a humongous banner which covered the bottom, middle and half of the top section. Rolling that sucker back up had my forearms burning! It was awesome!

Matt and I are making a quick excursion up to see world renowned Iquazu Falls for a couple of days before returning to Buenos Aires for the last few days. I´m slowing down on my red meat consumption but not without taking down a huge butterflied t-bone steak that would have made the old 96er self conscious.