buenos aires - home of tango

hola!

i've been in buenos aires for almost 2 weeks now. fortunately, i have a very patient and generous friend who hasn't kicked me out of his house. i've cleaned out his fridge, made a mess of his guest room and burnt a hole in his pocket (since he refuse to allow me to pay for meals).

the first time i stepped out to explore the city was in the evening. i was in a slightly revealing top (well, it was valentine's day and i was meeting my friend for dinner) and i was swarmed by.....mosquitoes!!!! so for those who plan to visit BsAs, please bring insect repellent.

but seriously, the cost of living here is low and the economy is still struggling to recover from recession. that first nite in the city, i saw people running through garbage, the homeless sleeping in parks and some risk their lives performing on the road when the traffic light turns red...hoping to be tipped in return. here is another reminder of how blessed we are.

the weather here has been hot and sunny. i've gotten a slight tan now after joining 2 bike tours, one around the city and another to the northern suburbs (tigre and san isidro) about 20mins by train.

cycling in the city was a little stressful...drivers here are very impatient and zig zag-ed between lanes. most of the cars here are more than 20 years old, so i guess they have very little to lose if they knock their cars. and before they zoom pass you, they release huge amount of fumes into your face...choke! choke! by the way, buenos aires mean good air.

the dead over here probably breathe better air than the living, well, the dead rich ones do anyway. the recoleta cemetery is located in one of the most expensive residential area in BsAs with numerous restaurants, bars, cinemas, nice parks and little pollution. only the super-rich and the who's who of the society gets to be buried here after death. this is also where evita peron is buried.

i know it's weird to visit a cemetery while on holiday, but it is an interesting sight. the graves are rows of vaults, each 2-3 meters high with a gate. each tomb is beautifully decorated with sculptures around and on top of the vaults. it's like a maze inside.

but there's one problem in recoleta...the streets smell like shit, literally. there's dog pooh everywhere, both fresh and stale ones (eeeww). my shoe picked up some unwanted souvenir while i was there, tough luck!

visiting the antique fair in san telmo on sunday apparently is one of the must-dos in BsAs. at the plaza dorrego, the streets are lined with stalls selling all sorts of knick-knacks. and here, the home of tango, tango dancers perform on the streets. i've never paid much attention to tango until now. i've grown to like it alot...the music, the moves...very sensual.