Yes I am an appalling travel writer. It’s been three weeks and I’ve managed only an introductory post, “Hello world, I’d love to write, but I’m having such a great time travelling I really can’t be arsed…”. No seriously, a lot has happened and I think it’s time we filled you in on what we’ve done and seen so far.
The first few days upon arriving in a foreign city where a most folks don’t speak a word of the Queens English is always…challenging. Even more so if you’re doing it off the back of an eleven hour flight over the Pacific and the international date line. In fact, I was close to a stunned mullet for most of the first few days, as a gringo could get.
Our first meal was a shocker, as we ate at a fine establishment at the upmarket part of Recoleta called Al Pachino’s. Riaz guessed it is owned by the Russian mafia used to launder money, given the fact that waiter, Vladimir, was an Argentinian of Russian descent -there are apparently a few thousand of them in Argentina – and a few pale skinned, blonde haired, Ultimate Fighter misfits stepped out of a couple of inconspicuous black Mercedes limos. I had my doubts, but after ordering a steak burger and receiving a Spam sandwich those doubts went out the door as we soon did. Vamos!
But as my uncle Marsh would say, “for every Yin there is a Yang”, and as we walked around the city in the following days our Argentine experience got better. Mucho mejor.
Argentina’s capital is one for the senses, not in the way Calcutta is an assault on the senses. It’s strangely familiar, somewhere in between Barcelona and Paris, in fact I have to make a conscious effort to remind myself that I’m in Latin America. The folks out here are mix of Spanish, Italian and German (there are about two hundred thousand German’s in the country). This mix explains the the richness of the cultural traditions that is at the heart BsAs. Who would’nt be seduced by a city offering the finest steak, beer/ wine and women the in world? ?
Highlights for the BsAs thus far, in no particular order: San Telmo Sunday antiques market, the finest medium-rare $AUD8 steak I’ve ever had, people watching at Puerto Medero and of course la chica’s Portena’s (spanglish).
Don’t take my word for it, check out Riaz’s top pic’s. More from City Porteña in coming weeks. Chau
the world is an amazing place 