Sorry for the absence- we have been busy busy busy! Buenos Aires is a beautiful city. New Years Eve and Day were absolutely dead and we mostly ended up sitting around the rooftop pool of our apartment, plenty of time to blog but absolutely nothing to say. At first we were disappointed, but after a bit decided to take the quiet as a gift from the Lord to two people who really did need to rest. Since Jan 2 we've been running around like crazy people again and having a lot of fun doing it. It's mostly been HOT (95+), except yesterday (more like 75). The city is somewhere between New York and Madrid, I think- action, tree-filled plazas, monuments, shopping, and amazing restaurants.

The restaurants have been my favorite part I think! Last night I had king prawns in some mysteriously scrumptious dressing, "Peking" duck (actually better than anything I ate in Beijing), and chocolate lava cake for desert. Tim's favorite was when we sat down at one restaurant and told the waiter to bring us all the best stuff they offered. His rack of lamb was a work of art, and our Achaval Ferrer red blend Quimera wine was probably the best I've ever had-- at $40 for the bottle. The prices here are similar to Peru (maybe a little cheaper). It seems like everything is 1/2 to 1/3 the price of Charlotte. Beef is king in Argentina, so we've eaten a lot of steaks. The queen strangely seems to be the molten lava cakes. I think we've had 4 so far.

One thing that has stood out to me about Buenos Aires is how remarkably familiar the people seem. I am continuously surprised to hear people speaking perfect Argentine Spanish, because between their light skin, light hair, clothing, and mannerisms, I always think they're tourists. This is nothing like Lima, despite the size and location. The people here do not look "latino" in the least. I think in a way I miss Peru- the unique flavor of the land, the humility of the people, the way its poverty erases the last traces of materialism. I am having a fabulous time here but am glad we live in Peru instead.

Some of the visual highlights of our trip are below:



The Caminito in La Boca, a very colorful port area mostly turned tourist trap.



The Recoleta cemetary, a city of mini-mausoleums and stray cats.



The weekly march of the Madres de Plaza de Mayo, the mothers of the "disappeared" of Argentina's Dirty War. I first heard about these women 10 years ago in Spanish class and have been fascinated by them since. They marched every Thursday afternoon for 30 years, demanding information about their missing children (kidnapped by the government). Last year they had their final march against the government, saying that the current government is not their enemy. They continue to march to support their leftist causes (note the banner- "Distribution of wealth already!"). By now the mothers are obviously fairly old. The whole experience of watching these courageous women was very moving.

1 Comment

1. Lisa on January 7, 2008 at 10:01 AM

   Hi guys! Looks like you're having fun. I enjoyed seeing your photos...they brought back memories from our honeymoon in B.A. Enjoy the rest of your time.
   
   Lisa