Being a Tourist Part 8

LOS CAMINITOS


This is perhaps the MOST touristy place in all of Buenos Aires. I waited until the very last week to go back and quite frankly I am thrilled I didn't go sooner. The number of tourist was ridiculous first of all. I honestly think there were more people speaking English or German than Castellano. Fortunately for me, I got to feel good about myself because everyone who worked there, the waiters, hockers, barristas, all thought I was from Argentina, and would only speak to me in Spanish. I think it was probably a combination of the fact that I naturally look Argentine and the facial expressions of disgust I was making at the tourists fawning over some of the dumbest and most gimmicky things EVER.


All that being said, I am glad I went. I think it is one of those things that you just have to do to be able to say that you did it, sort of like the duck tours in Boston. I got to see a little tango performance. It wasn't bad it just paled in comparison the the show I had seen the night before. I also got a great cup of coffee, which is always a plus. The best part of  the journey for me though had to be seeing the ghetto I had walked through the last time I tried to go here to get a view at those pretty colorful houses. I got a good chuckle out of it honestly. I think some of the people on the bus probably thought I was crazy, but who cares.


So without further ado, here are some pictures....

 

 

 

This was easily the best part of the morning/day.....a Porteño breakfast....cafe con leche, tres medialunes, and two jarritos of jugo exprimido y agua con gas!

Being a Tourist- Part 7

The next installment of my Being a Tourist series is a place called Puerto Madero. Literally translated this means "Port Lumber". First of all I did not mean to actually go here the day I took all of these pictures so I tried to get the best I could on what little information I knew. 


Puerto Madero is actually one of the wealthier parts of Buenos Aires....NOW~! Traditionally Puerto Madero is where that whole porteño and Lunfardo thing actually began if you have been reading and following along. If not I strongly encourage you to go back and read....Spanish or Something Like it......yes I am shamelessly plugging my own blog in my blog.....don't judge me!


Anyway, there is little to know recognition that this place has ever been anything but immaculate. I actually got a picture of one of the original buildings so we will throw that up so you can sort of get a frame of reference. Let's start with some pictures then I'll write a little blurb about the buenas ondas of Puerto Madero and then I'll finish with some more pictures....

One of two older buildings that I saw.

 

Now for some thoughts. I instantly thought of two things upon seeing the bridge leading from one side of the river to the other. Here is a picture of the bridge.....

First I was reminded of the Zakim bridge in Boston. Then I was reminded of the bridge in Singapore that went from one side of the river to the other and connected our hotel with Clark Quay. This design of a triangular type rise and the coils going down to the bridge below. I realize this seems like something very weird to point out because well a bridge is a bridge after all and they are all bound to share some similarities. It just struck me as funny that upon seeing the bridge to Puerto Madero I had not only one but two different bridges come into my mind.


I digress. Puerto Madero really did give me some flashbacks to Singapore. It was I think more of what I was expecting from Buenos Aires. A huge modern metropolis with parks and free space that still had a very Latin American soul. Clearly the city uses Puerto Madero as its model for the future and all I have to say is that if this is the future then I could definitely get on board. 


Let's continue with some more pictures:

A statue commemorating one of Argentina's naval ships.

A huge grassy park in Puerto Madero.

Along the river.

The next few pictures are of people who were hanging out on the streets and parks of Puerto Madero. This is the first time that I ever really felt like an outsider in Buenos Aires. I really think I was the only tourist on this side of the river and I definitely got some weird evil eyes for it and well the fact that I was also taking pictures of people may have had something to do with it....but I mean....no okay I guess I was pretty sketchy but still.

Dancing on a spot along the marsh of the Rio de La Plata.

                                                       

                                                                           Playing fútbol not even a few feet away from the dancers.

A bunch of kids playing in a fountain, with their beautiful Golden Retriever.

More fútbol.....per usual.

There was one unfortunate and disappointing part about my accidental trip to Puerto Madero. A few weeks ago I received a comment on my blog about the dangers of swimming in the Rio de la Plata, one of my ten goals for the trip. I was told that it was filthy and I would be crazy to swim in it. I confirmed this with many people but still had the thought that I would swim in it anyways. I mean how dirty could it really be. Well in order to get into Puerto Madero one must cross the Rio de la Plata and let me assure you I will not be completing all ten of my goals : (


The river really needs some help. I don't even understand how it could be so dirty honestly. I think the next project of the Argentine government to help stimulate the Puerto Madero area should be to clean up the river. Directly along Puerto Madero of course there is little actual polluting that goes on, unless it happens at night, so the problem definitely lies more inward. Perhaps with the fact that everyone washes all the trash on their sidewalks into the sewer and drainage system here in the city. I think that in order for a city to truly be a  cultural center a sort of pristine water supply is best. Whether that be a river, a lake, or an ocean there is just something about a clean body of water that seems to give life to everything around it. Well I will let you decide for yourselves about the cleanliness of the river.....here are some pictures.

This guy thought is was nice enough to row in.....and then I saw the picture below.

YUCK!!

And because I refuse to end my blog with a picture of a nasty polluted river....A statue of an anchor!

Being a Tourist- Part 6

Every tourist who has ever been to Buenos Aires no doubt has done two things....See those pretty colored houses(which I have yet to successfully do).....and go to the San Telmo Street Fair. The San Telmo Street Fair is actually a lot of fun. You find it by going down this small alley right off of where the Casa Rosada is located so it is perfect to see the house and get a glimpse at some real touristy culture here in Buenos Aires. 


The fair is basically a big conglomeration of all of the street vendors in Buenos Aires that occurs every Saturday and Sunday. I actually was able to buy quite a few souvenirs there, but I do suggest shopping around as some are really good quality and a good price and others are cheap and made to just gouge the tourists. The hint is to walk the whole thing. Yes it is enormously long and you will be tired when you are done, but you will undoubtedly find what you were looking for in the best quality at a good price from a really friendly local. 


Hints to the San Telmo Street Fair:


1. Don't pay more than 6 pesos for a glass of jugo expremido. No doubt you will see lots of people peddling fresh OJ but don't give in just because you are thirsty give it two seconds and undoubtedly you will find someone at the right price. Also, the concept of ice here is foreign so look for someone who keeps their oranges in a bath of ice water!


2. Pay attention to make sure you don't get pick pocketed. It is a very busy area and there are always people in any country looking to steal from you....I realize that is a fairly pessimistic view of the world, but whatever.


3. Do not hold on to your bag like you are trying to kill a wild animal. Yes I said to watch out for pick pockets but this does not mean that the 6 foot tall blonde lady needs to grip her bag like Rose holding onto Jack after the Titanic sank. Not everyone with an accent is trying to rob you! Calm Down!


4. If someone is trying to sell you their product be wary. There is a word here in Buenos Aires, called a chanta. For lack of a good translation think smarmy used car salesman. People who make and sell quality things at this fair are not trying to sell you anything because they know there stuff is good and will get bought eventually.


5. Don't wander too much off the beaten path unless you really know where you are going. Because the fair is so big and closes off so many streets I think the bus schedule and where the buses stop changes so it is best to just leave the same way you entered, like most things in life.


6. Bring a bag. This may sound stupid because everyone will give you a little plastic bag for you stuff but trust me your own bag is always a plus. Two reasons I suggest this: one is that its hard to carry all of those little bags and two is that if you are carrying a bunch of little bags you are a prime target for any chanta with a brain to take advantage of, no matter how smart you think you are.


7. Be prepared with small bills and centavos. There are a lot of street performers and if you take pictures they will expect some sort of payment. Also a lot of the vendors are not going to have change for a 100 pesos, so just better to be prepared.


8. Last but not least, wear comfortable shoes. It is definitely a hike from one end of the fair to the other and on cobblestone street. If you have a pair of running sneakers it is definitely the day to put them on your feet.


Now for what you have all been waiting for.....Picture Time:

This is a church/school you will find
in the midst of the fair. Awesome statue!

 

The next set of pictures that I have are actually of some of the many musicians you may see on a typical trip to the San Telmo Fair.

Come on this kid is sooo friggin
cute right...his father used him to clear a path
throughout the fair...Genius!

                                                     

                                                            They were playing some Tango music.

San Telmo Fair is also swarming with all sorts of different street performers. They are everywhere....seriously....here are just a few to give you an idea of the different types of things you can see!

 

That's right it is Capt. Jack Sparrow...in Argentina...whatever its an easy costume I guess....

This man did amazing acrobatics on his balls. That orange one and the silver one...really really impressed with his ball skills.

This is by far my FAVORITE street performer at the San Telmo Fair. He is there every single time I have been and literally is what you would expect and Argentine clown to be like. He is handsy with everyone...male, female, and those who are somewhere in between by the looks of them. He is also really just sort of a goofy clown with kids. Gets a laugh for a peso from everyone.

Being a Tourist- Part 5

This weekend I ended up taking a trip outside of Buenos Aires for the first time since being here. I know that I am lame for not having done this yet but I've been busy.....I will let you all know with what later this week...I promise its exciting!!!

Back to my trip. This weekend I decided I needed to go to the beach since it is so warm and nice here. That meant I was either heading to Uruguay or Mar del Plata.....well since part of me still wasn't ready to leave Argentina.....Mar del Plata was my destination of choice.

For those of you who are geographically stunted allow me to point out where this is.....

The red dot at the top with the black center is the city of Buenos Aires and the part that says Mar del Plata is obviously Mar del Plata. Let me assure you that while it looks rather close it is actually more of a 5 hour bus ride....so do not be deceived. For the my people from the US it is basically the distance from where I live in Massachusetts to New York City....more or less.

Anyway....the beach is exactly what I needed. I had a lot of work to do last week and I have a big event coming up this week (I promise I will have a blog post about this!) so I needed a little break. Shout out to Pinkie because I decided to take your advice about taking care of myself to take care of others. So I got a bus ticket for 1AM on Saturday and a return ticket for 9:30PM that same day and just went for it.

I LOVED Mar del Plata!!! Let me just start with that. Seriously it was the perfect combination of South America, Buenos Aires, Cape Cod, and Martha's Vineyard. It wasn't a small town and beach but a big city and really big beach. Cleanliness wise I would rank the beach somewhere around Revere Beach without the same number of homeless people that live there. 

It was a pretty typical beach experience. But a few things did happen. We, myself and another student from the Connect-123 program named Julian, got there early and stopped to have breakfast. I seriously had the best medialunes since coming to Argentina. They were covered in honey and just so what I needed to go with my cafe con leche. Then we headed to the beach where we were surprised by the set up. The beach was public but there were tons of cabanas near the back that people could rent out see below for pictures.

The beach itself was actually fairly nice really big! Here are some more pictures for your viewing pleasures:

So that was the beach in the morning....we then left to go and grab some lunch. We stopped by a small grocery store, bought some homemade bread, some ham, some cheese, and some drinks and then decided to eat in the shade of a nice park fairly close to the beach.

 

After lunch the beach got CRAZY!! When I say crazy I mean it was like July on Cape Cod....there were just people everywhere and this was there slow season. There were also a ridiculous number of hawkers selling everything: ice cream, soda, water, corn, sunglasses, camera cases, jewelry, fruit salad, renting umbrellas, renting tables and chairs, pens, and other assorted tchotchkes. Then someone started to drown...and by started I mean started and finished. It was actually pretty insane. All of a sudden the lifeguard noticed this guy just floating really far out and everyone started running to save him. I stayed where I was. I mean too many people just causes more of a problem then solves one. But I did have Julian, who is much taller than me, venture into the crowd to get a picture. I actually sort of felt bad since I don't think the guy made it. But it was interesting to see how the situation was dealt with here. I mean first of all, they don't have any sort of oxygen or resuscitation equipment handy. Which surprises me mainly because of the large number of people at these beaches, I mean statistics are just simply not on their side here. Eventually an ambulance was called and the paramedics did come and take from the looks of it a very gray man from the beach. I'm pretty sure the man was dead since I didn't see him breathing and they stopped CPR, and that the whole chaos around the ambulance was to keep the beach goers calm which is pretty interesting too. 

Anyway here are some pictures of the beach busy and the guy right after they pulled him out of the water....sans guy...I thought that would be inappropriate.

After the harrowing events on the beach in the afternoon, we began meandering around the rest of Mar del Plata. We ended up finding this great area to shop and I actually bought stuff to bring home....some stuff for me and maybe something for Jonathan....We also saw a pool. Yes that is right. The beach is so very busy that if you have enough money you can actually pay to swim in a pool that is located on the beach....If this ever happens in the US I will probably be forced to move, just sayin'.

Again here are some pictures from the afternoon:

Yes this is it the infamous pool on the beach......Ugh!

Then we headed out toward the bus station in order to grab dinner and then go back to Buenos Aires. What did we happen to see on our walk back you ask.....oh that's right I almost forgot....a concert for Christian Rock Music.....

I'm not going to lie I was really excited. I mean how many times in your life do you get to see a Christian Rock contest in the middle of a park in Argentina? I'm thinking not many.....anyway I took pictures here they are!

That's right it was called "Yo Creo" in other words "I believe"

Quite the crowd...surprised since if this happened in a park in the US I'm pretty sure someone would have a problem with it.

This actually made me sooooo happy! Argenitnes in traditional gospel choir robes!!!

The bus ride home was actually really nice. Buses are definitely the way to travel around this country. So comfortable and so easy to navigate. The only thing is the snack food on the bus was a little questionable.....I took a picture so you can decide for yourself.

For those of you that can't see....That is ham flavored snacks, an alfajor, an apple lollipop, and one of those cracker wafer things with vanilla filling....just odd! Hehehehe....but I ate it all and it was actually pretty tasty...so maybe I should just keep my opinions to myself.

This is me sitting on a Sea Lion statue....I have no idea why it was there but here I am ....I figured I at least needed on picture of myself at the beach right?!? Oh and by the way....
I am Northeastern...hahahaha!!