One of the stark adjustments one must make when changing hemispheres is the sudden change in the length of the day. The mornings are coming much earlier and the evenings much later than they were when we left home. I don’t know if it is that we haven’t adjusted to the four hour time zone change or that we are starting to fit into the rhythm of Buenos Aires, but we are also sleeping later into the day and retiring many hours past our customary bed times. Once again we left the apartment today after noon, and when we got home around sunset it was a lot later than I supposed.

We had a few errands to accomplish today and were able to do them all. We could have probably done some of through the internet but we’ve been finding on line information somewhat unreliable, particularly regarding prices. We watched a quite animated news anchor on a restaurant television talking at length about the economy but with no sound, no subtitles, and limited graphics. I gathered she was reporting the inflation rate so far this year is 16 percent, whereas it was 75% in 2018. I still need to confirm that, but clearly prices are much higher than they were when our 2018 guide book was published.

Our first errand was to take the subway to the Retiro train station and scope out where we are to meet an acquaintance on Sunday. We then found bus station for a list of bus companies so we can research options for a night bus to Mendoza. We are not going there for a couple weeks, but we want to reserve seats before we take a week to go to Uruguay. In a park near the terminals is a monumental tower that we erected in 1906. We could not read the sign describing the tower so all I can say is that it’s old.

We also needed to put eyes on the ferry terminal for current schedule and pricing. We are trying to decide whether to to to Colonia del Sacramento in Uruguay for a day trip while we are in Buenos Aires or to hold off until we go to Uruguay on the 28th and stop there on the way to Montevideo.

We searched for a post office to get postcard stamps. It was not extremely difficult to find with several stops for directions. We made it through a straightforward process to get the stamps. Unfortunately we did not know the process and, with no signs or information to follow, ended up going through a little convolution to get them. There was good news and bad news when we got the stamps. The bad news is they were 150 ARS a piece (about 4 USD). The good news is we won’t be spending a lot of time writing post cards. Sorry.

We also wanted to check out the Galeria Pacifico, which is in an old classic building in the city center. One of the features we wanted to see is the murals in the central cupola.

One thing we did not expect to see was the Borges Cultural Center that took up three floors in the corner of the Galeria. There was a free exhibit of some striking art that I am having difficulty categorizing. There were also two photographic exhibits, one containing images of North Korea by a Canadian photographer named Nathalie Daoust. It was very moving. The composition and special pigmentation created a landscape of a bleak and lifeless place.

I guess I could add a few photographs of the various meals we had today, but I’ll just refer you to Facebook to see pictures of food.

Until tomorrow…….

Sweltering heat. I was promised sweltering heat. It was chilly today as we walked through the city. The temperature was in the seventies and the sky was overcast. I kept wishing I had a jacket.

During our walk today I was reminded on more than a few occasions why the city streets seem to be filled with trash. In the earlier part of the day the streets are fairly clean, but as the day goes on scavengers decend on the trash receptacles, remove all of the contents, then take the recyclable materials away, leaving the rest on the sidewalks and streets. I guess it is the case that desperate people will do what it takes to survive and the consequences will be damned.

Today’s walk took us to Recoleta and a tour of the cemetery. Along the way we encountered the Supreme Court building, where we were unceremoniously told we could not tour the building. This was somewhat surprising since we thought we were in the Teatro Colon, which ended up being across the street.

By the time we got to the theater there was a large crowd waiting for admission, so we decided to head on to the cemetery.

I’ve always been somewhat fascinated by cemeteries. At one time in my life I worked in the funeral industry and learned that dealing with human remains is a like taking out the trash. But the Recoleta Cemetery is a reminder that people tend to reverence the dead, spending considerable resources to fashion memorials to the departed. The memorials in the Recoleta cemetery were more than a little ostentatious displays of commitment to the memories of the loved one. More than a few had collapsed into ruin after years of neglect.

After the cemetery and lunch we went to the National Museum of Fine Arts, which was nearby. We saw an excellent collection, including medieval tapestries, statuary, and paintings. There was an exhibit on the artistic trajectory of the twentieth century. Although some of the twentieth century collection was interesting, I was really impressed by the decline of mastery of media and technique has been disguised by experimentalism. By the time we got to the post modernist, post war period, I was thoroughly disgusted by the abject nihilism that passes as art. But to each his own, I suppose.

I still don’t get how the same folks who despise the swastika celebrate the hammer and sickle.

Aside from a long walk home, punctuated by pastries and coffee, that was our day. We headed home for warmth and wine.

Paula and I have complementary approaches to travel. I am very good at knowing where I am going and she is good at knowing where we are. It works pretty well, except there is a down side. We might be at lunch and decide we’ll go to xyz next. I point out it’s three blocks that way and then we will go left for half a block. So far so good. Then a half block away I’ll notice Paula is not with me and I’ll see here going through a door or turning into an alley. I’ll say, “I thought you wanted to go to xyz,” and she’ll say “do you notice the pattern the shadows make on this tile? I want to take a photo.” I’ll impatiently wait for her and when we start to head out, but now she’s looking at something else. Don’t tell her, but I actually have a richer experience going at her pace, but I’ll never admit it.

We woke early today, which is the first day we have done that on this trip. I noticed the date and realized it would have been my brother John’s seventieth birthday today. He passed on last June. I thought about him throughout the day and wondering how it is so many years have gone by since we were playmates.

Our goal today was to get to the 14th floor of the Galeria Guemes, which has an observation deck for a bird’s eye view of the city. We made it there, but only after several detours. The other day we were told of an “on and off” bus tour that had an office near the Galeria and that there was also an Italian coffee shop in the area. We found the ticket office for the bus tour first, and it ended up being eight or nine blocks from the Galeria. We checked the prices and schedule and decided we might do that later in the week, and then crossed the street to park we had seen yesterday. It is a very nice park with a good view of the Retiro neighborhood.

Within the park was a gigantic ficus tree that had captured the attention of many children and adults

After lolling about in the shade a bit we headed off to the Galeria, passing by a Kentucky Fried Empanada stand.

Heading on to the Galeria we decided we should try the Italian coffee shop, but were not able to find it, so settled for a different brand. We had to wait for about half an hour for the observation deck to open, and it was worth the wait.

By the time we finished it was too late to go to the Recoleta cemetary so we opted to try the ecological preserve that was closed on Monday. After a nice walk we found that it was closed again today for inclement weather. Initially we were somewhat confused about why the weather was deemed inclement since it had been dry and sunny all day. We finally concluded that the trails were too muddy from the rain yesterday.

At that time we decided to head back to the apartment, getting a snack along the way. As we passed through Puerto Madero we walked through an area where warehouses had been converted to retail and restaurant malls, with the cranes left to provide a little ambiance.

We also went through a modern shopping district that had the distinctive characteristic of groups of young girls practicing syncronized dance routines, using their reflections in the glass windows to refine their performances.

We also saw a monument that we call “Chevy sin palo”, which is an inside joke for Burquenos.

All in all, we had a great day and left a lot of things undone that we can get to tomorrow. Or later.

For the fifth or sixth time in my life I was able to stop rain. It’s very simple, really. All I need to do is buy an umbrella and the clouds part and the sun shines. Of course if I get too cocky about it, the rain returns. That’s what happened today. The rain stopped in the late morning and we headed out to see some of BsAs, planning to walk to the Ateneo bookstore, a couple miles away. After about 20 minutes a light rain started and after fifteen minutes of continuing to hold hope that the weather forecast would prove to be right we stopped into a store and plunked down 100 pesos for a small umbrella (about $2.70) allowing us to experience a sunny few hours.

Suitably insulated against the vagaries of nature we launched ourselves again in towards the bookstore, distracted only once by the Plaza de los Grenaderos, that contains some graphic sculptures related to Argentina’s military history.

The Aneteo bookstore is in a converted theater and maintains some of the elegance of bygone days. It is an interesting structure, with bookshelves lining the mezzanine and balcony and a childrens section in the below ground section.

We spent some time perusing the selections and watching the numerous tourists taking photographs.

On the way to the bookstore we had passed a place we thought we would like to visit on our return. We headed back that way and settled in on a covered terrace to appreciate a craft brew. While we were there, the good fortune I had purchased for $2.70 expired and we watched for an hour and a half as the streets flooded with rain and people hustled by in varying levels of protection from the wetness. Being from Albuquerque, we are not used to seeing such a hard unrelenting rain. My frequent checks of the Weather Channel app assured us that the rain would be ending shortly. It was quite a show, really, and we figured the matinee would end by 5:00 as we were assured by the weather channel. But at 5:00 the forecast was that the rain would end by 6:00. By six it was still raining, and a half hour later we figured the Gringos had blown it again, bit the bullet (to use a completely inappropriate metaphor)bundled in our rain jackets and headed off under our new umbrella to find the Guerrin Pizzaria, a restaurant that had been highly recommended to us.

The rain gear we have is the same we wore when walking the Caminho Portugues last year. At the time I had questioned how the manufacturer and I had such different understanding of the meaning of the term “waterproof,” and I was soon reminded that I had not resolved that difference in the meanwhile. The umbrella was clearly waterproof, since my head and shoulders remained dry, but everything below the chest was pretty soaked by the time we had gone ten minutes. Just before we got to our destination I considered that we maybe should have taken a taxi.

We arrived at the pizzaria, after a twenty minute walk, wet and hungry. Guerrin has been at the same location since 1938 and has a good reputation and a loyal following. We split one of the house specialty pizzas, which was tasty and was accompanied by a slice of faina, which is a flat bread made from chickpeas.

By the time we left the rain had stopped and we had a nice, though chilly, walk back to the apartment.

Tomorrow we will try to get out before noon. In one sense I feel that we are getting into the BsAs rhythm, but I suspect it is mostly that we are still on MST, which is 4 hours earlier.

Until tomorrow.

Charlie

We received a comment that it is sometimes hard to determine which of us has posted a new blog. I had assumed people would know that the snarky, cynical posts would be mine, and the lyrical, descriptive posts would be Paula’s. Perhaps she is more snarky than I thought. Anyway, up til now, I have been updating a previous post and Paula has been posting a new blog each day. We have decided we will each sign off on our posts. In the event we do not do so, those written by Paula will include her e-mail address in the heading, and those written by me will have the name of the website (aworthwhileillusion.blog).

Last night we checked the weather forecast for today and it was for partly cloudy skies with a 20 percent of rain. We woke up to rain that ended about 11:00. It allowed us another excuse to not get out and about until after lunch, which we will not eat since we just got around to breakfast. All that is to say that weather forecasts here are about as accurate as the ones produced by the Gringos up north (if I may be allowed to use an expression that confuses the six cardinal directions.)

We’ll be heading out to find the treasures of BsAs soon, and will post about our discoveries at the end of the day.

Charlie

January 14, 2019

Something I’ve noticed about people in Buenos Aires. When you are walking and people approach from the other direction, particularly on a collision course, they always turn their heads or look away with their eyes so they can pretend they do not see you. I suspect it is because that if they can’t see you its up to you to step aside. Perhaps they are like that in all big cities, but I prefer the way I am familiar with. You acknowledge one another and in an instant negotiate who is to adjust their path. I’m thinking of doing the same sometime and walk into someone just for the heck of heck of it and then offer profuse apologies.

I’m like that in cities. It seems there are always jerks in front of me who are walking too slow and assholes behind me that are always trying to get around me. Don’t they know I’m walking here? Paula asks me sometimes, why it is I think I want to go to India?

We had a good walk today. We decided on some errands to address some shortcomings at our apartment, the most pressing of which is that there is no equipment for making coffee. We thought it would be a fairly easy thing to get a relatively inexpensive French press, but could not find one anywhere. We finally found a small strainer that will let us make cowboy coffee at least. It will go in our travel drawer and make many future trips with us.

The guide book says that during the summer people flee the “sweltering heat” of Buenos Aires. I must say I was a little concerned about that, but if today is an indication of what is meant by “sweltering” I just have to say “bring it on.” It was a sunny day with intermittent clouds and a nice cooling breeze. Nothing at all like a summer day in Albuquerque.

Our initial objective was to walk in the Reserva Ecologico, which ended up being closed on Monday. It was on that walk that we recognized that many businesses are closed on Monday, including banks, which be extension means that ATM machines are not refilled, so finding cash is a bit tough. We ran across a Hilton hotel, and figuring they have the clientele that expect to have proper service and would have an ATM freshly stocked with Argentine pesos. We were right, which was a relief since we were down to about ten bucks equivalent.

I finally figured out a heuristic to convert pesos to dollars. Since the exchange is normally 36 – 37 pesos per dollar, I figure divide the peso price by 40 and add ten percent of the quotient. That seems to get us close enough.

Paula tells me she heard that Buenos Aires is the Paris of South America. We came into a few neighborhoods that might resemble that analogy, provided there are portions of Paris with torn up sidewalks and trash strewn on the street. I would not say our experience is anything close to Paris, but there is a charm to BsAs that makes the experience enjoyable.

We have had a few really good craft beers and met an elderly gentlemen who enthusiastically explained the history of BA, along with map references and construction information on the basilica and convent we stopped in by chance. We are beginning to get our bearings.

For dinner we went to El Federal Bar that is in the guide book as a relatively inexpensive place to eat. We encountered a waiter who is quite adept as upselling the menu. I tend to approach those attempts cynically, thinking that he/she is only trying to spend more money, but in this case I decided to believe he wanted us to have a great dining experience. We paid more than we had planned but had a fabulous dinner at a fraction of what it would cost in the US.

Following are a few photos for the day.

I don’t know what this is, but i liked the image of a smith (of sorts) on top of the building. This was taken while we were having a craft beer in our neighborhood.

Inside the Basilica Nuestra de la Merced. This is a very old cathedral, founded near the time of the founding of Buenos Aires.

This is the entrance to the convent attached to the Basilica. Paula and I are in dispute about which building is older, but since I am older, and thence more enlightened, I am right by default.

The courtyard of the Convento is not really well maintained, but it is a pleasant and peaceful spot.

On the way back into the city from the locked entrance to the Ecological Preserve we walked along a shaded sidewalk next to the lake.

A view of the Puerto Madero skyline.

Here is another view of the Puerto Madero skyline. This was taken while we enjoyed a cool IPA at a craft brewery near the canal.

Your guess is a good as mine. Perhaps a protector of the Coast Guard? Not having a lot of luck researching this.

Another nice path in a park near the Ecological preserve.

January 13, 2019

I am coming to the conclusion that I really don’t like to travel. I do enjoy being in different places and experiencing new things, but the whole deal about getting there is not a lot of fun. The first day in a new place is frequently characterized by crankiness and short temper. I would like to encourage our famous science and engineering establishment to actually invent teleportation and not just talk about it.

The flight from Houston to Buenos Aires was non-eventful but long and filled with turbulence.

We arrived in BsAs under overcast skies with light rain. The temperature was very comfortable and the rain stopped by the time we got to our apartment.

We have a well located BandB apartment that is definitely worth the price. I think, though, perhaps we should have spent more. Since we generally do not spend a lot of time in our accomodations, we tend to skimp on that and focus our budget on experiences. This will definitely be a good spot to settle in for two weeks.

This afternoon we walked, or perhaps better said “inched”, our way through the Sunday market, which was very large and filled with a lot of local handicraft. We basically spent the time appreciating the wares and trying to come up with a quick method to convert pesos to dollars in my head.

Our trip to the market was highlighted by an attempted scam that is common here. The scam is that someone sprays some gunk on you and then tries to help you clean it off while picking your pockets. We were wise to it immediately, but still ended up with a bunch of slime on our clothes. In a sense being a target of a scam that you’ve read about is a lot like seeing scenes from your home town in a major movie. At least I think so, though the only thing my home town was know for was being the center of population distribution in the US in 1980. Oh, yes, also being listed as the number one city in Missouri for having the most uneducated population.

We ate a modest lunch at the market, though we ignored the siren call of the many parrailleda offerings. We did have another unique experience where a man passing by determined we had finished eating and grabbed some of the food in Paula’s plate.

We called it quits shortly thereafter, went to the grocery store and went home to fall asleep in the living room by mid afternoon.

No photos today. Tomorrow we will explore the city.

January 11, 2019

Well, we are at it again. Another long trip to exotic lands begins tomorrow. It seems a bit strange that we can just go about our daily lives and then suddenly show up at in a foreign country with no permission needed other than a treaty negotiated by people we have never met.

Tomorrow we begin our first visit to the southern hemisphere. Our itinerary will include Argentina, Uruguay and Chile. Weather forecast for Buenos Aires indicates we will be successful in escaping winter this year.

Watch this space for updates.

Thanks for joining us!  This site is under construction, and we expect to have some interesting content posted very soon.

 

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton