Vacation Nostalgic Moment: Argentina, Part 1

I'm sure everyone on the world wide web has been on a vacation that they want to replicate or "try to top" at some point...  I've been fortunate enough to have quite a few of these vacations (most recently the one in AZ seen HERE). 

One that I want to tell you about now is the trip I made to Argentina to see my friend Martine.  First a little bit about her...

Martine and I became friends at work in Milwaukee when I started at the company I'm at now.  She took me under her wing and taught me all about my new home.  She and I hung out VERY often while I lived in Kenosha and shared lots of laughs and stories.  She is the epitome of classy and I love her dearly.  We have a lot of great memories.

I was working as a computer program developer (insert nerdy scoffs here) and had to go to Argentina to launch the program and work with my IT counterparts to ensure all was working for their specific needs.  This trip was scheduled less than one week after my sisters wedding (I told everyone I was going to take her honeymoon for her).  Needless to say, traveling to a different continent was going to be a great detox from normalcy and stagnant life, but also it was going to be a bit nerve racking to go on this trip alone.  Martine had been living in Argentina for a few months (of the 11 she was going to be there) and offered for me to stay with her for an extended trip so I planned a week of vacation on top of the two days of travel and two days of work. She was living on Avenida Alvear y Callao and this is what I got to call home...

I had two days to accomplish the business I needed to get done.  I arrived to Argentina on Wednesday night (after a layover in Atlanta in which I had to sprint to the gate on the other side of the airport... I was the person they were summoning over the loudspeaker).  After 16 hours of traveling, I was NOT looking forward to going to work first thing the next morning but worse things have happened, right?

Anyhow the office was in a scary part of Buenos Aires - we drove past two landfills and a community of homes that had lost a wall or two that was now being supported by a car that hadn't been driven in what seemed like years.  People watched you from the side of the road with curiosity in their eyes and judgment in their hearts... I don't believe I've ever felt so isolated.  Martine and I sat in the back seat of the car listening mindlessly as our driver (and bodyguard, for what it's worth) was telling us stories of the community and why it became what it did.  I can remember vividly, what the spray paint and homeless dogs looked like, though.  It was a very depressing sight.  We pulled up to the security gate of the office and were granted access after a few questions and started our day.

 

(this is not a picture of our office...)

Now mind you, I'm blond with blue eyes.  This is a rarity (in a big and serious way) in Argentina.  The majority of residents have dark hair and eyes.  Martine has the dark hair but stands out with her green eyes.  I was welcomed warmly into the office and began work with my new friends.

The first day at the office the power went out twice... which wasn't as bad as when the water shut off three times.  You know those super inconvenient times when you all of a sudden have to go to the ladies room so desperately that you'd auction off your first born for the opportunity?  That bad.  Thank goodness I don't have kids yet or they'd be living in South America.

We went to supper with two of our coworkers from my department.  They brought us to a very fancy restaurant where we had fantastic wine, lots of different foods and dessert.  This is where I realized my love for Malbec.  I didn't become a wine connoisseur, I just got picky.

We tried blood sausage, filet minon, and pork.  We also had panqueque's.  My favorite was panqueque de dulce de leche (between that one and the panqueque de manzana).  It was a fantastically thin pancake (or something of the sort), with a caramel that puts caramel to shame. 

 

That night, we went to something called "after office".  After office is basically a RAVE that begins after you've left work and had supper.  As soon as we walked in, people looked at me like I was foreign or a twin or something... (for those of you that haven't read past posts, I am both in South America, just the latter in North America).  We had people walking up to us and talking so quickly in another language that I understood nothing.  We danced and people got drunk, the works.  It was fun but by 2am I was burnt out and we went home.  I learned later that a lot of people didn't go home until like 5 or 6 am... That is so far past my bedtime that I might as well just stay up until bedtime the following day.  It was fun nonetheless :)

Other adventures include:

• taking a tour of the city by bus with a coworker - I learned such a tremendous about the culture and the entire tour was done in castellano (they do not speak Español.  I know this because I unintentionally offended someone to a very large degree).

• Went to a Circus De Soleil show  

• Went to live music and sushi

• taking tango lessons - I wasn't good but I got a video of a solid attempt.  The instructor was a friend.  The video was taken when we were trying it at the apartment, not when we took it to the club where we "competed".  I got the "miss congeniality" prize.

• finding a fantastic bakery in an alley that sold something called "alfajores" (and if you think this means something dirty, I have linked a page that explains what alfajores are (and no, it won't put spam on your computer or send your colleagues emails about viagra)).

• walking to other fantastic cafe's and learning what a "table charge" is... it's like we rented the table for the low cost of 4 pesos.
• walking through the largest rose garden I have ever seen (the smell was amazing and it was the end of their summer).  There were thousands of roses all of different "breeds"

• taking a trip to Tigre where we got to ride a water taxi and eat at a restaurant on an island.  And on stilts.

• went to Uruguay for a day (specifically Colonia) to tour and see more culture.  It was a fantastically beautiful town... The difference between the Portuguese and Spanish homes was amazing and learning about conflict turned to harmony was enlightening.  The churches were all so beautiful and I would love to have architecture like theirs to enjoy now and again.

I know I look like I'm in pain but I wasn't... it was just super sunny

• going to a street fair - which is oddly similar to the 7 mile fair in south Milwaukee, WI only with all argentines

This trip was so much fun I want to experience it again. I'm addicted to learning about other people and where they come form.  Culture fascinates me.  I hope you found this as enlightening to read about as it was for me to write.  Have a fantastic Monday night!!

Xoxo

Rebecca