Hola, de Buenos Aires

Sunset over the buildings of Puerto Madero, from Parque Micaela Bastidas

I made it!  My first "official" stop*.

I arrived Thursday morning and took the express bus to the city center - a great deal, as the price of the express bus ticket includes a shuttle to your exact address within the city.  I mention this mostly because when the shuttle driver asked me where I was from, and I told him New York, he said, "Oh, I lived in New York for a while...in New Rochelle."  That is ONE TOWN OVER From where I grew up.  Talk about small world.  And talk we did.  

My new best friend from New Rochelle, Omar, and I chatted away in Spanglish (delightful) as we drove through the streets of Buenos Aires.  I arrived at my CouchSurfing spot and met my delightful hosts.  

The thing that's so amazing about CouchSurfing is that you basically have instant friends.  I'm staying with two roommates, one from the States and one from Germany, and they're really into the CouchSurfing scene in Buenos Aires, so I tagged along with one of them to a birthday party for another CS'er in a park in Puerto Madera.  Bam. Day 1.  Friends.

The birthday party turned out to be a lovely picnic in Parque Micaela Bastidas, complete with frisbee playing and face painting.  One of the chicas I met - roommate of the birthday boy - has moved to BA with her boyfriend...he works in a restaurant...that turned into a dinner invitation to the restaurant that evening!  I'm feeling good about my first day already.  To top it all off, we went to a hilarious club.  Hilarious because, apparently, Thursday night is transvestite night. The ongoing stage show was one of the best costumed pieces of theater I've seen in a long time.  Add in the mystery of "is he a she or a he?" and a slamming DJ and it definitely made for an exciting evening.  I stuck with my CS host and got home by 3:30am - according to her, an early night.  

Yesterday I walked around Palermo Viejo (I think it was Viejo) after sitting at a cafe there and watching the world go by for a couple hours.  They have THE COOLEST stores here.  Clothes, shoes, bags, jewelry.  I must come back when (1) I have money and (2) I have room to bring stuff home.  Lots of room.  Geez louise it was great!  Managed not to buy anything, which is a small miracle, considering the number of incredible, relatively cheap, independent, designer-y boutiques I went into.  

The mural at the beginning of the concert 

Returned to my hosts' apartment to meet them for a Kevin Johansen concert at Ciudad Cultural Konex, an open-air space where they'd set up bleachers and half a dozen hammocks.  We arrived early and got seats - a good move, because Kevin and his band, "the nada," played for more than 2 hours!  I really enjoyed his music, especially the way he combined Spanish and English (he's half Argentine, half Alaskan!).  He also had a painter onstage, who, starting with a blank sheet hanging behind the band, created a mural bit by bit, changing and adding to it to accompany each song.  Kevin + the muralist had a funny rapport.  Not that I could understand most of what they were saying (in fast, slangy Spanish), but everyone else was laughing, so it must have been funny.  At one point, the two joined hands and took a stroll through the audience (of about 500 people)...I have a couple photos from when they came up into the bleachers...and O.K., I'll admit it, I ruffled his hair when he passed by.  

By the end of the concert, the mural looked like this!

Tonight: dinner at Casa SaltShaker, a puerta cerrada (translation: closed door) restaurant that has 12 guests for a themed dinner in the chef's home!  He's an expat from the states, and offers cooking classes in English, so on Monday I am taking his Chilean Seafood cooking class.  Much to look forward to!  

I'm off to explore the city!

Ciao ciao.

Julia

*My 2 days in L.A. were a wonderful kickoff, thanks to Matthew and Helen, Zander, Eli and Lily, and all the other folks who enjoyed Suzanne's chocolate ganache, not least of all, Suzanne!  Thanks, y'all!