Dec 30 2010
Sugar Hype
It’s been only three days since I came to Buenos Aires and yet, I feel like i’ve been here for weeks, done and seen everything. We have spent entire days outside exploring the city making sure every neighborhood is seen and commented upon. The weather is still amazingly hot and although a side effect is endless frizziness, its comfortable and easy to adjust to.
One thing I’ve noticed and really liked is the street art in BA. We went on a tour of the entire city yesterday and the colorful street art most definitely attracted my attention. Our tour guides, known as The Alicias, told us how the community supports artists like these who decorate their walls, and this made me think of the way the government looks down on graffiti artists in New York and labels it as “vandalism.” The art is very unique and vivacious and it brings animation to the streets.
We also had a taste of the Buenos Aires nightlife and although most of the people at these places, called Sugar and Hype Kika, were Americans, the music, the food, and the beverages, were quite awesome. It was a Tuesday night and we couldn’t ask for more. Along with a little partying came an experience with Italian food, wine, and empanadas – not all together. I should comment on the wine and say that it was absolutely amazing and rich and we felt obligated to try it for how much praise Argentinian wine been given, even in New York. Finally, the ice cream, the helado, we tried was beyond delicious. With the right amount of sweetness and the perfect combination of flavors, fruitilla and dulce de leche, the ice cream turned out to be heaven in my mouth.
A place that was really interesting to look at was this well renowned cemetery, called Cementerio de la Recoleta, where Evita Peron was buried. The cemetery is beautiful and each grave had different architecture, some with sculptures of angels and pillars. There were cats all over the cemetery and it appeared as is they were so content and comfortable with their position and location that they would not flinch when any person got near them. It was fascinating! The second place we visited today was an old theater turned into a bookstore, known as El Ataneo. It is a marvelous building and the ceiling is as high as the cathedral we saw the day before during the tour. There was art all over the ceilings and the stage of the theater was turned into a cafe, similar to the one you’d find at a NY Barnes & Noble.
Overall, exploring the city has been a success. We have a tango show and some shopping left to do in Buenos Aires, and entonces, we are off to Mar del Plata for New Years! Yes!
