Introduction: I enjoyed a deeply fulfilling three-week stay in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and plan to share a series of posts about my experiences. I'm debating how much of my daily life to include, as binge-watching Netflix might not make for the most thrilling read. However, this blog will serve as a personal memory archive, so I aim to document as much as I can. You're welcome to browse through or, even better, immerse yourself in every word and join me on this adventure.
Day Four
Prior to my trip, I made a short list of places I wanted to visit while in Buenos Aires and Jardín Japonés was one of them. I loved exploring the city on foot, but Alejandro and I decided to take an Uber instead of walking the 1.75 miles because today was the first of several 80-degree days to come. Even when the temps were moderate - in the low 70s - the sun still blistered and drained me of energy and motivation.
Buenos Aires has a temperate climate with hot and humid summers with frequent thunderstorms while winters are cool and drier. Spring and fall are transitional seasons and characterized by changeable weather. Since Buenos Aires is south of the equator, the seasons are opposite to those in the United States. As Utah was coming out of a sizzling summer and moving into autumn, Buenos Aires was entering into a blossoming Spring.
At the Japanese gardens there was a pond with koi fish surrounded by lush greenery and paths winding through a variety of plants and flowers.
Although it was a nice spot to spend a hot day, I thought it was similar to other Japanese gardens I've seen and wasn't anything spectacular, although I loved the strands of colorful origami cranes hanging from the ceiling inside the exhibition building, as well as some of the artwork.
Jardín Japonés (Japanese Garden) in Buenos Aires encompasses about five-acres and has both native Japanese flora as well as South American plants.
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| Strands of origami cranes |
Alejandro pointed to the one I wanted, but she didn’t see him because he was lost in the crowd. Another woman, also waiting at the counter, pointed to the one I wanted. She spoke Spanish to the clerk to ensure I got the right one. I thought that was a very nice gesture and she smiled bright when I thanked her, gracias, in Spanish.
I noticed no matter how bad my Spanish was, people appreciated that I made an effort. It was presumptuous of me to assume they spoke and understood English and even if they did, Spanish is the official language of Argentina so it is what I should be using. Besides, I've always wanted to learn another language, so what better way to learn than to become immersed in it.
At the gardens is where I saw my first Hornero, the National Bird of Argentina. Horneros are brown birds with rather short tails and long bills. They build mud nests that resemble old wood-fired ovens. In fact, the Spanish word “hornero” comes from horno, meaning “oven.” I would have liked to have done more birding while I was there, but, although I heard birds, I didn't see too many of them in the city. Besides, I didn't have a guidebook or a camera with a good zoom lens to take photos. I did see ALOT of pigeons though, for they have taken over the world.
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| A long sleeve shirt was not the best fashion choice for such a hot day! |
From the gardens, we walked down Ave. Pres. Figueroa Alcorta towards the Planetario Galileo Galilei (Galileo Galilei Planetarium), but it was closed so we continued walking and found a quiet place under an arbor covered with purple wisteria vines to eat lunch. We ate leftover empanadas and drank mate for which I have developed a taste. Mate was a bit bitter for me at first, but a dash of sugar made it taste much better.
Mate is a traditional South American drink made by steeping dried leaves from the yerba mate plant. In Argentina, mate drinking is deeply ingrained in the culture, promoting a sense of community and connections among people. The ritual involves using a hollowed-out gourd and a metal straw, and it is often shared among friends and strangers as a symbol of hospitality and warmth. During one of the days when I was out sightseeing with Alejandro, we stumbled across an outdoor market and Alejandro bought me a mate cup.
I often saw groups of people sharing in this tradition, even in the airport when I was departing. Most had their own mate kits which consisted of a cup, straw, and a thermos of hot water in a leather case. I even saw a few places that offered hot water to refill thermoses. At the Japanese Gardens, there were many groups relaxing and sharing their mate.
President Domingo Faustino Sarmiento opened Parque Tres de Febrero in 1875. The park was named in honor of the Battle of Caseros that was fought on February 03, 1852. This battle led to the defeat and exile of Argentine president Juan Manuel de Rosas, whose lands were confiscated and used to create the park.
At Parque Tres de Febrero we wandered through rose gardens and watched paddle boats on a small lake. We stopped again to take a reprieve from the hot sun and share a bottle of cold water. It was a great place for people watching. The park was full of families and people rollerblading, biking, playing soccer and having fun. I don't know what I expected, but the scene was reminiscent of every park in the United States, and most likely in parks around the world, however, I couldn't stop smiling.
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Day FiveStreet art in Buenos Aires began as a form of political expression during the military dictatorship in the 1970s and 1980s. Activists used graffiti to voice their dissent and resistance. Over time, this evolved into a more diverse expression of street art, blending social commentary and politics with abstract art.
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| "Dona sangre, Dona vida" Donate blood, Donate life |
With the laxed laws regarding street art, artists usually only need the property owner’s permission to create beautiful masterpieces on the sides of buildings and houses.
On almost every building or wall was a piece of art, from spray-painted graffiti to elaborate murals covering entire buildings. Wandering the city and discovering these murals was a highlight of my trip. In hindsight, I wish I had taken a guided tour to learn more about the artists and the history behind these magnificent works of art.
The below mural is titled, "Mural de Los Suenos" (Dream mural) and serves as a backdrop to Plaza Luna de Enfrente, a children's park in Palermo Soho. It was painted by Guido Palmadessa featuring a small child reaching for a flower, meant to represent the process of immigrating to Argentina. Palmadessa was born in Buenos Aires, but currently lives in Berlin. His paintings focus on the social component of art and can be found in Portugal, Germany, Italy, Spain, Croatia, Mexico, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina.
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| Murl de Los Suenos |
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| A wall along a narrow street is covered in posters and a poster of soccer player Lionel Messi's face. Messi, born in Aregentina, is one of the world's top ranked soccer players. |
After the last few days of sightseeing under
a brutally hot sun with Alejandro, I woke up tired, irritable, and in need of a
rest day. After sharing more mate with Alejandro, and then saying goodbye (he was headed home), I spent the rest of the afternoon in my sweats, watching Netflix, and
eating alfajores. I used the quiet of the day to reflect on the last few days
and to reenergize for more adventures to come.
I love the vibe of Buenos Aires.
As soon as I emerged from the airport and breathed in my first breath of Argentinian air, life surged through me. My spirit was happy, invigorated and inspired. After each day of wandering through the city absorbing its personality and filling myself full of delicious foods, I told myself I was going to cancel my return flight and stay another three weeks, or maybe not leave at all. I was content and satisfied with my life in those moments and that's exactly how I had hoped to feel when I traveled to Buenos Aires. I wanted to feel alive, and I did.
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| This store was just down the street from my apartment. I'm not sure what kind of store it was, but I thought the front colorful and interesting. |
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| Otilia, a colorful bar near Plaza Serrano. |
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Day Seven
Exhaustion usually follows after a long flight, but the excitement of being in Buenos Aires staved it off for a little while, however on day seven, it finally caught up with me. It doesn't help either when my neighbors blare their crappy music until 2am and then converse on their balcony until 4am. Even with earplugs, I heard almost everything and couldn't get a good night's rest.
I slept until 10am.
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| Stuffed ravioli with rabbit. |
I don't know if it was because I was in a concrete basement and couldn't get a signal or if it was operator error, but at the time I tried to figure it out, I was impatient and irritated. It ended with me slamming the washing machine lid in frustration and yelling, "fuck!" rather loudly. I didn't attempt to use the washer again and instead, washed a few items by hand in the sink and hung them on my balcony to dry.
By evening, I was in a better mood and ready to eat.
Dinner time in Buenos Aires is late with some restaurants not even opening until 8pm. I usually don’t like to eat after 6pm and am in my pajamas by 8, but being in Buenos Aires, I had to alter my eating times. However, tonight, Shawn and I were having an early dinner (at 5pm) because I was hungry and didn't want to wait until later.
At Andante Restaurant I noshed on raviolis con conejo confitado (rabbit ravioli) and had Chocolate Terrine for dessert. The food in Buenos Aires is delicious and very affordable. After my near-death experience (yes, I know, I exaggerate) of exchanging money at the cambio, I would put the cost of our dinners on my credit card and Shawn would give me his share in pesos. So much safer.
After dinner, we took a short walk around the neighborhood which was becoming our nighttime custom. Buenos Aires has a vibrant nightlife and for most people, the evening festivities were just beginning, however, for me, my day was coming to an end and I was ready for bed.
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| El Club de la Milanesa Restaurant - where I had dinner with Alejandro on Day 5. |
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| The view from my table at El Club de la Milanesa. |
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