Hello Buenos Aires...and goodbye

Time to go home... I can't stand the thought of going back to routine life after such a luxurious time on the road. Don't get me wrong - I love my work and my home and friends and family - it's just been such a treat to have this winter to explore the world. Just wistful, I suppose, because tonight I get on a plane and all of it will be in the past. What a ride.

Buenos Aires is a city - what more can I say? It's filthy, smelly, noisy, crowded, and THRILLING. This city is hyper-aware of its passionate history, and flaunts Tango as much as the beloved Boca soccer team, Evita, and the national flag. This energy is expressed daily - Porteños (as locals are known) stay out all night on a regular basis, often with the entire family. Small children play in the streets at midnight, with nobody seeming to give a second thought to it.

This all takes place amongst the crumbling frontages of manor houses from the wealthy turn of the century, when Argentina was a major power in South America, and the wool trade was booming. BA is filled with an embarassment of amazing architecture. Often called the Paris of South America, on quieter corners, it is easy to see why. On the busy ones, you'd better just watch out for traffic. Sidewalks are not necessarily for pedestrians.

Not many quiet corners are found in the downtown area where Julie and I are staying. It's smack in the middle of downtown, near the touristy bits. We've immersed ourselves in Tango (hard to avoid, actually) and eaten the famous Parilla (grilled meats) almost every night. So much to tell, but I have to go! There's one more day to cram in more BA. Ciao & Besitos!