ARRIVING IN BUENOS AIRES Sep. 17, 2010

FOR A LONG TIME THE UNIVERSITY IN BUENOS AIRES HAS BEEN ASKING OSWALDO TO COME GIVE SOME TALKS AND WE FINALLY SETTLED ON A WEEK IN SEPTEMBER. 

I HAVE STUDIED SPANISH FOR TWO MONTHS IN PREPARATION FOR THE TRIP. 

ESTOY HABLANDO ESPANOL!!!!

Funny how it can take a whole day to get to one place from the other. Our 3 1/2 hour flight leaves at 1pm, but we get up early to pack and are surprised by an empty airport when we arrive the stipulated two hours early. As a consequence we we wait a lot. The plane, however, is full, and, hungry now, we are disappointed when we are handed a thin styrofoam box containing one small, soft bun with ham and cheese and a factory packed chocolate muffin, which looks and tastes as if it too was made from styrofoam. We arrive at the Jorge Newbury airport into a milling crowd, most of which is waiting for the ‘remis’ - a kind of radiotaxi - which is the preferred mode of transport, since apparently normal taxis are driven by criminals. We have to wait 40 minutes for our remis, during which time I manage to buy a paper and a magazine in Spanish - the two guys behind the counter laugh when I speak (is that a bad sign?) - but at least don’t cheat me. When we finally get out of the airport, we see the wide Rio de la Plata stretching vastly like the sea in the late afternoon sunshine and, possibly influenced by the long messy wait inside the airport, I say to Oswaldo the view reminds me of Maputo. Oswaldo, who grew up in Buenos Aires, is surprised and says, ‘No, no, this city was built to resemble Paris!’ This, of course, becomes clear as soon as we start driving through Palermo, filled with parks and beautiful apartment buildings. Our hotel is in Recoleta and is a pleasant surprise. A spacious one-room apartment with a lovely view of the cemetery, and other buildings, rich and poor. When we open the door to the balcony a rich signature smell of grilling meat fills the air and makes us vegetarians wrinkle our noses, haha.

We are exhausted from....we’re not sure what, but finally rouse ourselves to take a walk around the block in the now quite brisk weather - 12C - and have dinner at a pleasant neighborhood restaurant, Rodi-Bar - recommended by friends - and finish with an equally recommended Freddo icecream. Then off to bed.

THE DAY WE ARRIVE