Weeks 8, 9 and 10... so much and so little...

The week started with a disaster - I ended up having to go to hospital with a severe infection in the throat/glands and was put on antibiotics. Just as well - they took care of the problem immediately but left me feeling drained. Someone must have known I was missing a week of my vacation and my mind was constantly wondering how I could make up this lost time because I got a call from Aerolenias Argentina informing me that they hand DISCONTINUED the flight I was booked on to return directly/non-stop to New York on. I was being moved to a flight to Miami with a connection on Delta to get home. While I was at it, I requested a delay in my departure which they agreed to do without a penalty - so instead of returning on the 26th of May I now I had another 5 days - I am now leaving here on 1 June reaching home on 2 June!

Shahrukh decided to desert me and has gone off to the US for 3 months - I now know no one here any more, apart from gloria who is somewhere in Brazil with the President of India - due to return any day now.

I made up for the 5 days I lost in bed by going to Uruguay with Anna and Kerry, students from my Spanish class. We left on Saturday morning for Colonia and spent the night at a very comfortable albeit newish hostel - clean with fresh linen, shower gel, hand washing soap and toilet paper! They even served breakfast with dulce de lecce!! I was in heaven....

Colonia is a quaint old town with cobbled, tree lined streets, charming old homes made of stone and brick dating back a couple of hundred years. It has an old-world charm to it that has been well preserved. The streets are wide and cycling around was not that difficult, though some parts of the city are hilly. I had to abort a bike trip to the old bull-fighting ring the next morning that Anna and Greg (an American student staying at our hostel) did and a got second-hand report on it instead. Some of the shops stock eclectic and unique stuff - very intersting.

We took the bus to Montevideo on Sunday, hoping to have a good day there before returning to Buenos Aires on Monday but it was a disappointment - it was dead, boring and dull. Monday was slightly better with a few more people on the streets - the architecture is stunning but very disappointing to see the state of disrepair they have let the stunning pieces of history fall into. We walked for hours along the waterfront to the lighthouse, only to find out it was closed to visitors on weekdays... no matter, we still enjoyed the walk - it was cold and windy but the fresh air and exercise were enjoyable.

Back to Buenos Aires in the evening by the high speed ferry Monday night and straight into Spanish class the next morning... we did a lot in a short span of time and I felt like I had been away a week - a neat break from the daily routine of Spanish lessons and tango and milongas all week for many weeks.

My friend Will, a porteno married to a Belgian/Spanish woman and living in Greece whom I had met at a milonga at Salon Canning a few weeks ago gave me a surprise call and asked if I would be going to Salon Canning for the lesson on Tuesday night - I decided to go and he joined me there. We did the lesson and he left soon after. I decided to stay and make it my first night at a milonga by myself - it was the best night of dancing I have ever had in Buenos Aires - I didn't sit out a single dance till I left. Hard to repeat a night like that!

Carole and Vanessa returned from Brazil earlier than expected because they had encountered bad weather - they had nothing but rain for the 5 days that they were there. They came to stay with me - Vanessa left on Tuesday, 6 May and Carole and I started to make plans for our trip to Bolivia. My exams were on 8 and 9 May which went well. I think I will pass! Without studying at all, I think that's not a bad way to go - I was too busy partying all night during my last week in Buenos Aires - can't believe I won't be dancing again till I return on 29th May... and then too, I will have to see how I go.

We spent a very pleasant day on a Sunday walking through Palermo . I had never been there and wanted to before I left and grabbed the opportunity when they suggested we do it. We walked through the cobbled streets, visited the marketplace which was abuzz with life - locals and visitors alike - browsing through handicrafts and new budding designers' collections which are often launched here - some very creative people in this country. Lunch at a local Mexican cafe sitting by the cobbled street in the sun was delightful with burritos, guacamole and nachos, followed by more meandering through the streets. Found a beautiful house at the corner of a street that the three of us decided we watned to buy - gotta have dreams - without them we are nothing!

I managed to catch up with Gloria for dinner at a lovely restaurant at the Design Centre in Recoleta where I met Fay - must keep in touch with them... lovely people! And of course, it was followed by a night at Salon Canning again where I got to dance some again. It's my favorite milonga in town.

There have been a few changes in this place that need to be noted... firstly and very importantly - when I went to my tango class on 2 May I found prices of classes had been increased from 15 pesos to 19.50 - almost a 30% increase overnight... and likewise, the price of Tango shoes has shot up... the same pair I bought for 310 pesos 2 weeks before had gone up to 390 pesos on 2 May - all claiming to keep up with inflation which has been 3% a month for the past few months. I am glad and very lucky to have been here at the right time - wonder if things will ever go back to what they were. It is scary to see, when you go to a bank at the beginning of the month - there are queues a mile long of portenos converting their money in the thousands of pesos to US$ or Euros. We spoke to one and asked why and the answer was simple - they did not trust the local economy and govt after what had happened in the past. They keep their cash under their beds or stashed away somewhere safe rather than in a bank.

Oh, and an interesting point - this being a staunchly Catholic country - everything was open on Easter weeekend - including tango classes, malles, shops, etc, but on 1 May, Labour day, EVERYTHING but the zoo was closed. Yes - I neded up finally going to the zoo that day and spending 4 hours in the glorious sunshine - it was a little nippy but the sun was out shining brightly. The zoo is a pretty place to see but the condition of the animals and their enclosures leaves a lot to be desiered - particularly the polar bear - he looked patheticlally sick and certainly not where he should be. The petting zoo was a hit with the kids with cows, sheep, goats, ducks, geese and other domesticated animals. The hippos did a mighty display of their teeth for people willing to feed him them! The penuins were delightful to watch, though again, not kept in a very inviting environment.

I am all packed and ready to leave - another hour and I will be on my way by a luxury 'full cama' bus - the seats are heavily padded, flatten out completely like a 1st class seat on an aircraft - traveling 20 hours costs just under $100 and includes 2 hot meals along the way. I believe they have toilets on board in Argentina - Bolivia is another story! First stop is Salta in Argentina, just south of the Bolivian border. The food there is supposed to be special - slightly spicy with the best empanadas in the country. I don't think I'm sick of them yet!

I may not be updating my blog for a few days but I will when I get home; I'll be back in a few weeks!! Lots of pics to follow.... some on my gallery already.

Chou - hasta luega!

Weeks 6-7, 8 - 21 April 2008: Hectic, fun and Milonga'd out!

I should have learned from last week and written my blog daily, but it didn't happen again, and this time for two weeks, but with good reason!

Sharath arrived and stayed for 9 days and boy, was it hectic! We did every tango class we could, slept in the evenings for a couple of hours and went to Milongas almost every night, staying awak till 4am... just like the locals do. Salon Canning (which is by far my favorite), La Viruta, Viejo Correo (which literally means old post office, probably because the building probably was one), La Marshal at Maipu (a gay milonga) and Porteño y Bailarin, to name a few.

Sharath did the bike tours I had done around BA and to Tigre and we did the one to Palermo and Recoleta (the Barrio where we live) together. It wasn't as good as I had hoped it would be - the guide wasn't a good one. Sharath had the same guide for Tigre as I had for my BA tour and like me, he had her to himself - he was the only one there. I believe he had a good time!

We had lunch at Puerto Madero the first day and walked along the boardwalk for a bit before taking the short train ride parallel to the river. The Women's bridge is an interesting one - the suspension bridge is shaped like the heel of a woman's Tango shoe - and here's proof!

We walked through the San Telmo market, my third visit and as enjoyable as the first. There's always something new to see, live music to enjoy and people watching is always fun. Very interesting handicrafts to browse through too, not to mention the antique shops. There are some really interesting curios and artifacts for serious collectors, including old records and posters, china, glass and silver. Of course, you have to be careful and not get cheated, but it's the same as anywhere else. You have to know your stuff when buying 'antiques'. See my photo gallery for some interesting faces and street acts.

The highlight of the last week was a live tango show by Miguel Angel Zotto and his troupe of dancers and live orchestra. Stunning! Absolutely amazing footwork and not a move out of place. You have to see it and experience it to appreciate what I am saying - words just cannot describe how perfectly rendered the performances were. The women were one more stunning then the other to look at and their dancing was faultless. I wonder what it takes to be a dancer like that! Food for thought and something to aspire towards...

Our teachers Yanina and Adrian leave for Japan this week to teach for 6 months. They have been delightful to learn with. Sharath and I both did as many private classes as we could with them before their departure. They performed at Porteño y Bailarin last week and were amazing to watch. Elegance, grace and power. They make an amazing couple on the dance floor and off - they are genuine, warm and friendly and give off the best of themselves as teachers. We both learned a lot from them. They teach at Esquela Carlos Copello at Anchorena 575, (close to Carlos Gardel and opposite Abasto Shopping Center). They will teach here again on their return. I particularly appreciated learning the Milonga from them, a form of dance that is fast-paced and tremendous fun to do.

We were also treated to a performance by Gustavo Naveira and Giselle Anne and a few other couples at Salon Canning a couple of days ago. They are also very big names in the Tango scene - it's incredible that you can do a 2 hour Tango class, attend a milonga and be entertained by the top names in the field for a mere US$5 (15 pesos, represented by the $, is what it costs to enter a Milonga). Wonder how long that will last - apparently the rate of inflation is 3% - per month! I can see it in the prices of Tango shoes - they seem to go up every time I enter a shoe shop! Yes - I have bought some more as has Sharath! I'm not going to tell you how many- all I know is thay are fabulous!

Spanish classes are getting along well - am now able to have simple conversations in the present tense. I went for a foot massage and 'podicura' to a professional podiatrist yesterday - he scraped the dead skin off my feet with a scalpel, filed my nails with a Dremmel... and got my entire life-history out of me in Spanish! He helped me conjugate verbs into the past tense to get the story across. I will have to do this again... foot care and Spanish practice at the same time. I came home totally relaxed. I bought a bottle of wine on my way home because Sharath had flown out and I was alone - wanted to comfort myself and indulge. Shahrukh dropped by to reinstall my Vonage box which had been giving me grief and shared a glass with me. Needless to say, I didn't go to a Milonga and went to bed early for a change.

My Spanish teacher, Emma, has enlightened us on something valuable. A couple of my classmaes, Anna from Germany and Kerry from the US, and I were talking about continuing our Spanish studies. At present we are in Level 0 as none of us knew anything when we started. We were debating buying the workbook for level 1 and doing it on our own, when Emma suggested she would be happy to help us by correcting our work and we would have to pay the UBA only $50 pesos to sit the exam when we were ready to get a certificate of completion - interesting information! With that, we could enroll in Level 2 the next time we wanted to join the UBA. We are starting it next week - hopefully I will have enough time to do this before I leave.

The weather in Buenos Aires has changed - it suddenly became very cold a couple of days ago - had to go out and buy a jacket before our bike trip to Palermo - and though it has warmed up a bit there's still a nip in the air. There's also a blanket of smoke settled over the city for the past 3 days - the farmers traditionally burn their field to increase fertility before planting their next crop at this time of year and because of the lack of rain this year, the vegetation was drier than expected. The fires have been raging out of control and have destroying over 60,000 hectares of land. Due to atmospheric high pressure and no winds, the smoke is trapped over the city and will remain this way for the weekend. It might clear up after Monday, 21 April. It's strange walking around through smoke, breathing it and smelling it 24 hours a day. It has penetrated into Milonga halls and apartments. I am sure it won't be easy to get rid of. Entrepreneurs are making a fortune selling surgical face masks at subway and bus stations - I see several elderly people wearing them - must be effecting their breathing. Some of the culprits have been arrested but the fires still rage out of control... wonder how long it will take to stop them.

It's on to another week and right now it feels like it's going to be uneventful ... but time will tell! Nothing is predictable in this city...

Week 5, 1 - 7 April 2008 - Hard work and lots of fun

This week has begun as one of hard work - in Spanish and Tango. I have done 2 - 3 classes of tango each day and have spent long hours studying Spanish verb conjugation and added many new words to my Castallano vocabulary - the original form of Spanish spoken brought to Argentina by the Spaniards when they settled in Argentina. Its pronunciation is very different from the version spoken in Spain and other Spanish speaking countries. Now it's time to get out of one-word conversations to speaking in full sentences...

My tango classes are improving my dancing in leaps in bounds with constant reinforcement of comments by my teachers. Most of them have complimented me on my technique and ability to follow a lead - I have succeeded in becoming a good follower - the trick now is to graduate from a follower to a dancer. Therein lies my next challenge...

Paula finally left for San Francisco on Tuesday - I came back to an empty home, which felt strange. It would have been very quite here if it hadn't been for the pitter-patter of rain on the windowsill. The TV is also on in the background - it's been an invaluable tool for me in learning and understanding Spanish - the subtitles on English films helps me build my vocabulary and construct sentences. When I'm not sitting on the couch I turn on Spanish programs to listen to the soundtrack - I understanding the gist of things but not complete conversations yet. I wonder how long this will take!

Carol moved in 2 doors away and we have spent quite some time together - attending classes, window shopping and having potluck dinner on her terrace, which is very relaxing late in the evening after hours of dancing, with a glass of red wine and dulce de lecce for dessert. Good times! Good memories! I am going to keep the address of her place to see if I can stay there next time I come here. The location is just perfect and being in a private home (not an apartment block) it is very cozy.

Shahrukh and I went out for a very interesting meal at a restaurant called Freud and Fahler - nouvea esperanza, as they call it. New Breath! The cuisine was nouvelle Argentinian - served in bite sized portions - delicious, different and very distinct. The desserts were outstanding! Must go back there once again before leaving here...

I had an amazing foot massage by a podiatrist in the shopping arcade around the corner from home - 20 minutes for 20 pesos (less than $7) - excellent job! I walked in there with aching fee wondering how I was going to get through a 4 hour workshop that afternoon - I felt like I was ready to dance all night after it!

Finally made it to a milonga at Confeteria Ideal (a famous, old, traditional milonga hall which is now infested with tourists - it was a must do just to be there) this week - Yanina, Adrian, Rocio and Juan Pablo - all teachers from Carlos Copello - were performing there that night. I had a great time. I had asked one of my co-students to be my taxi dancer for the night (they get paid for dancing with you for the evening) but I got there late and he had started dancing with others, so he decided to dance with everyone and didn't charge anyone anything - very kind of him. He's a good dancer and I might ask him again when I want to go somewhere and don't have company. After the performance Adrian, whom I am taking private lessons with, asked me to dance with him - I felt I had gone to heaven after the dance - it was amazing! A good lead makes so much difference to how I follow. They had a live band playing for a while which was very good - UniTango.

Saturday and Sunday were spent doing a women's technique workshop for 4 hours each day with Aurora Lubiz - an amazing teacher who is known for her acrobatic performances on the dance floor - she is a tiny bundle of the most amazing energy - what an amazing 8 hours - learnt a lot of stuff that I had seen being done and always wondered how it was done. It was easy to figure out once taught but adding it to my dance repertoire is going to be a challenge - there's so much to think of to make technique a part of my dance, adding adornos to it is going to be the ultimate!

It's Monday and Sharath is on the home leg now - he has landed in Bombay at the ticketing office to get his itinerary finalized - he's going to leave as soon as possible to be here - flying through Paris so it will still take him at least 24 hours to get here. It's going to be fun 10 (+ or -) days to have someone to go out with without wondering whether I'm going to get to dance at a Milonga or not.

It's going to be another day of dance - Mondays are off from Spanish classes though I have lots of homework to do and another 2 Tango classes this afternoon, and perhaps another this evening... and so it goes on, and on, and on... I'm loving it!

No pics pics this week - back to being a non-tourist - and I'm loving that too!

Week 4. 25 - 31 March 2008 - What a week!

This was a week of many firsts....

My first first is a big, never-to-be-repeated mistake - I should have written the blog every day because it's now the end of the week and I have done so much but don't remember it all - it's a blur and I am praying it will all come back to me with a little help from my friends. Paula is staying with me because she missed her flight - she got her departure date mixed up and is now flying out on Tuesday, April 1. It's good to have her company - she's a dynamic, energetic 21 year old who can teach me a few things about enjoying this city - she has all the eating and dancing places sussed and has a lot of contacts she is introducing me to. I should have a different perspective to living here before she leaves. About time I started doing as the Romans do. Party life doesn't begin here till after midnight and I have only done that twice - yes - I did go for another Milonga!

Paula, Udai and I went for dinner to Tandoor and then at 11.30pm headed to Salon Canning, one of the more popular milongas in town. It had a very sophisticated ambiance and is frequented by a large number of portenos (locals) and the standard of Tango is very high. Shahrukh joined us there at 1.30am when I had my first dance with him - he is a good leader. I also got to dance with a few others through whom I tested the Tango Milonga etiquette of making eye contact, getting a little nod of invitation and reciprocated by accepting the nod with a nod! It works! I have been initiated and feel a little better prepared to take on the rest! The music was very good and the entertainment - at 2.30am! was a fabulous Tango demonstration by a highly acclaimed duo of Tango dancers. Very sharp and elegant! We headed home at 4am where Shahrukh insisted on making a round of Caiparinas for us all - at my place - and proceeded to refuse to let me sleep. I had a Spanish class to attend at 9am - it was 7 by the time they finished downing their drinks which turned into a few rounds of Caiparinas - I stopped at one - thank god for that! Shahrukh and Udai fell asleep sitting on the couch trying to keep me awake, but by then it was too late for me to risk taking a nap. And here's my next first - I stayed up all night and showered and left for class without having slept a wink... never again! It has taken me 4 days to recover from that - I must remember I am not as young as I feel! I actually managed to stay awake for most of the Spanish class after downing a double shot of espresso but made up for it by sleeping the rest of the afternoon! But not for long...

My next first - at 4pm the same day, I had my first private lesson with Yanina (pronounced Shanina) and Adrian - my favorite teachers of all those whose classes I have attended - and I have attended several at many different studios. They are Level 2 teachers at the Escuela Carlos Copello; stunning dancers, excellent teachers and very inspiring to watch and learn from. Their method is thorough and they know exactly what to pick up on to improve your dancing. I feel a difference in my dancing technique already after just 2 lessons. The trick is to practice and make what I have learned come naturally on the dance floor - that is what I intend to spend the next few weeks doing.

My first private lesson didn't end when the lesson ended... and herein lies my next first... Yanina insisted on taking me to where she goes twice a week to keep her body in shape - a pole dancing class! What an experience that was! I came back looking like I had been physically abused - my legs were blue and black with bruises from trying to hang on to the pole while twirling around! I had thought of taking a picture for posterity but decided it was not a memory I wanted to preserve! I mean the bruises - the lesson itself was a blast but the jury is still out on whether I will return there for another session of torture! It was an amazing workout - highly recommended if you want a flat stomach, toned legs AND arms - and have an amazing time doing it. The others there were getting pretty good at it and I was told I was a natural - the moves came the first time I tried them, but It took me 3 days to be able to walk without my muscles letting me know they do exist and need to be treated with respect if I want them to cooperate with me on a daily basis. Apparently, the workout is good for strong legs, abdomenal and core muscles, and for balance - all essential ingredients for a good Tanguera's posture and I could well use them to improve my dancing!

Next - I wrote my first essay in Spanish - a brief description/family history. I managed to find the vocabulary to say all I wanted to but I am sure my grammar needs a lot of improvement - waiting for the corrected assignment from the teacher which I should get next week. Shahrukh read it over a dose of Caiperina and was duly impressed (I wonder if the drink had an effect on his judgement?) at what I had done after just 4 lessons - it really is an achievement and a testament to the methodology adopted at the Universitad de Buenos Aires Laboratorio des Idiomas (Language laboratory).

Wednesday saw me at Tandoor again for dinner - Paula had returned from visiting Uruguai for the day and found that the hotel she had been at had let her room out to someone else and she was without a room. She hadn't been able to contact me and called Shahrukh for help and he had offered her his apartment next door. I was surprized to find them waiting for me when I returned from dance class at 10.30pm and dragged me along for a night out. Shahrukh was meeting a few people from Boston who were visiting for 10 days of Tango workshops. We had another good meal there and again ended up at my place with Cathie (an organic farmer from Boston) and Darren (who was actually from Australia but staying at their hotel) joining us. It wasn't going to be another all-nighter - I finally convinced them it was time to go home at 2.30am and managed to get a few hours shut-eye before heading to another Spanish lesson.

During the dinner I had overhead Darren mention to someone that he was going to Iguazu on Friday. I had been wanting to do the trip myself since Varun had told me of his experience when he visited the Argentinian side during his visit to Brazil in February, and had been waiting to find company to travel - it's always much more fun with a friend - and so, I had my first visit to Iguacu on Friday/Saturday. We stayed at the Sheraton which is the only hotel built inside the national park and was lucky to get a room that faced the waterfalls - what a breathtaking sight it is at any time of day! We had flown to Iguazu on separate flights - Darren arrived there by an earlier flight and slept a few hours waiting from my arrival - my flight was delayed and I didn't get in till about 1.00pm - wasted half the day! We decided to do the Brazilian side first as the Argentinian side definitely deserved more time than the Brazilian - it has better views and more options of things to do - walks, boat rides, etc. The falls themselves are very impressive - so much water and so much power - where does it come from and how does it get replenished to keep it going century after century - amazing! The sunset that ended our day was in unique shades of pink and purple...

After seeing the falls from the Brazilian side, we did some souvenir shopping and got back to the hotel after dark and jumped into the pool for a swim - the water and air temperature couldn't have been better! Just perfect - not too cold and not too hot! Ideal way to end a day spent walking in the sun!

The food at the hotel apparently isn't up to scratch so we decided to go into the town of Iguazu for dinner instead. The Footprint guide had a few good recommendations but our taxi driver recommended Aqua - opened a year ago and not included in any of the major guide books. The meal was exceptionally good - we ordered the local fresh-water fish - Surubi - prepared in two different sauces - grilled with a saffron sauce and another with tomato and basil salsa. It was one of the best meals I have eaten; the flavours rich and distinct, well balanced and not strong enough to overpower the delicate flavour of the fish itself. The fish was meaty with thick flakes, cooked to perfection! The waiter recommended a Patagonian pinot noir with it which turned out to be an excellent choice. The dining experience was of a very high standard with exceptionally good service - butlers with white napkins across their arms with a cloth-covered dumb-waiter beside the table where our wine bottle was kept chilled, though the environment was not congruent with the service - it was too casual and the service too elegant for it. The building looked like a log cabin whereas the service was that of a fine dining restaurant. Glasses topped up before they were too empty, seamlessly, not letting us realize how many glasses we had embibed! My camomille tea was served in a teapot - not a teabag in my teacup!

We had no room for dessert after that, but it was again 1.30am by the time we reached the hotel. There's something about Argentina - either it's a very late night or nothing at all!

The next morning we took a train (a 300m walk from the hotel) and visited the Argentinian side of the waterfall though we had a bit of a late start again after having a leisurely breakfast, sitting at a table with a view of the waterfalls just in front of us - stunning!

The butterflies! They are everywhere as you walk down the boardwalk to get to the viewing point at the edge of the waterfalls. They are friendly too - they sit all over you and you can make them sit on your finger - I think they liked my sun-screen lotion - their tongues tickled as the siphoned it off my skin! I would have loved them to stay and and spend some time getting to know them I had to be selfless and save them from poisoning themselves! Got lots of pictures though. I believe in September, when their eggs start hatching, you cannot see the road - there are so many of them and the variety of species is stunning! The colors are exceptionally bright and some of them even looked like the size of little birds flying around. Their ability to cling/stick onto the wooden railings when the force of the wind and spray from the waterfall almost blew me away was a revalation! They just cling on for dear life! I got some stunning videos of a few against the backdrop of the waterfall - brilliant memories. We also sighted a cayman crockodile and a few turtles sunbathing on a rock along the way!

The bird life in this part of the world is supposed to be outstanding - we saw a few species though there is a trail which is a bird-watchers delight; we didn't have time to do it. We did an ecological boat ride down the river but didn't see much more than a couple more turtles. And more butterflies! What we did do was jump into the river as the guide paddled along and cooled off in the water - I had to jump in with my clothes on as I hadn't thought of wearing my bathing suite. It was fun! When we returned to the hotel I rushed into the changing room by the pool (we had checked out before leaving that morning) and had a quick shower before a late lunch after which we had to make a dash for the airport to catch our flights back to Buenos Aires. The end of a memorable adventure with delightful company.

After a good night's rest, Paula, Darren and I met for a short spell on Sunday afternoon to exchange photographs and reminisce over a cup of coffee before Darren caught his flight back to Seeeedney! He's good company and we have lots of common interests, Tango, Vipassana, hiking, kayaking, etc. I am sure we will meet again somewhere, sometime. He has invited Sharath and myself to visit him in Australia - perhaps when we go down under we will stop by there to see the family and catch up with him as well.

My day didn't end there... I went to La Grisel for a Tango lesson and milonga that evening. I had some good dances at the milonga with people I had danced with at the class. There are a few older men who are very good dancers who join in the class to assist as there is normally a shortage of men in these classes. They tend to be very generous with their time to help new learners and make an extra effort to encourage and teach us what they can. This follows through in the milonga session where they make it a point to ensure all of us get to dance. I had plenty of good dances that night. It was an enjoyable evening which I think I will try and make it for every Sunday, though it means missing a class at Carlos Copello which I do enjoy very much and learn a lot from... I'll have to make my choices!

Something that I find is constantly re-enforced in my travel experiences is how much more enriching life is when you do things outside your comfort zone, even though it involves taking calculated risks. It is worth every bit of fear one faces - and very rewarding to come out at the other end, having been somewhere and done something that you could have missed out on if you hadn't taken that step or made that decision. My motto - feel the fear and do it - is my source of inspiration. It has never led me astray nor let me down - ever! My life has been all the richer for it. I have ended up having adventures I will treasure the memory of, meeting people who will stay friends as long as we choose to remain so, and feel all the richer for it.

A good piece of news I received yesterday - my friend Carol (from France and an avid Tango dancer who is here for as long as I am, or longer) has taken an apartment on my street and will be my neighbour from this week! Looks like my milonga nights just got more frequent and longer! It is why I am here, it is what I am doing this for - learning to Tango to Tango! What better place to do it than right here, at the best Milongas in Buenos Aires! Long may the tradition continue!

My hunt for the best tango shoes continues - one can never have enough! Everywhere I go, I see the same faces buying up everything they can find in every color in their size. And they're not all Tango dancers - apparently people come here to shop for tango shoes to wear on a daily basis - they are so well made - they are wide on the toes to accommodate bunions that other shoe manufacturers for some reason do not understand are a cuase of anguish for those who suffer from the pain. The quality of workmanship, design and styling is outstanding. The shape of the heels is to die for - some upto 9 cms high and stunningly elegant - unfortunately out of my radar of comfort - I stick to 7cm or under! Comme Il Faut has the most extensive range in style and heel sizes by far. Their quality is the best (Neo Tango is a close second). Their prices vary from 270 - 300 pesos, about US$100 for the best shoes you can get. The colors and color combinations are quite amazing - hot pink, red and black, shiny purple and green, tiger and leopeard prints and yellow black and white are some of the more exotic combinations I have seen - worn with a plain black anything, all you need is one of these pairs of shoes to look stylish and stunning! Oh, I forgot to mention - men are just as crazy about their Tango shoes as the women... you will find a fair share of the custgomers at all these shops are men buying more than one or three pairs of shoes! It's not only the female population that keeps the shoe business thriving!

It is a pleasure to go out at night in Buenos Aires - people take a lot of trouble to dress well and look good - ladies get the chance to show of their wardrobes and their shoes - some men come in suits and ties and hats looking very dapper - and their stylish shoes - some black and white, red and black, or just white or combinations thereof! Much better than just wearing another pair of jeans and heading out to party - it feels like a real night out and you can do this most afternoons and every night of the week! You will often see older women with a young dancer (who will normally be a very good dancer) - you know she's with a 'taxi dancer' - someone who is paid to go dancing with you. The advantage is that you have a young, good dancer to yourself for the whole evening - the disadvantage is no one else will ask you for a dance and they will all know you are with a taxi dancer - not exactly a good look!

This week has been another long adventure - I have had so many new experiences and done so much in so short a time - it's a blur and a constant source of wonder - trying to recall and relive moments that I almost missed recollecting.

I have often had to go back to my blogs and update them with stuff that comes to me after I have published it, so don't be surprized if you read something different in my previous blogs (if you ever have the time to revisit them!) that you hadn't read before. I do it to keep my memories as true to what actually happened for posterity.

I update my photo gallery regularly at: href:"http://www.flickr.com/photos/24668244@N07/page2/- do visit that too to get a visual on what I have written - my decision to be a non-tourist without a camera or guide book is now a false statement - guilty as accuded! I cannot leave my cameras behind and was on this trip with two around my neck. Made up for the missing Japanese tourists - there wasn't a single one in this part of the world on this trip but I made up for them in carrying the 'Japanese look'. The camera backpack (very heavy!) also provides weight training exercise - essential for aging women to maintain strong bones and control osteoporosis.

The week ended with a night at Salon Canning with Paula, Carol and her friend Maximiliano. Didn't stay too long - back home by 1am after a couple of dances - need to go for a lesson before the Milonga begins to get to know some of the dancers there. Carol has moved in next door to 2634 Arenales - a lovely room on the terrace of the building with an outdoor dining table and covered area - would love to stay there on my next visit. We had dinner together at my place with a fabulous bottle of red wine before going dancing. It's going to be good having her as my neighbour. She's good company.

Week 3. 18 - 24 March 2008

Just in:
I did it - I graduated from Tango Level 1 to Level 2, finally! I was 'tested' and passed muster dancing with the teachers and some of the better students... I feel I have arrived. Now it may be easier to go to a milonga... watch this space.
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The week has flown past - full and packed with activity. I spent a lot of my time walking again - visited the Recoleta Cemetary twice and finally did a tour of the place with an English speaking guide. The guide had a sense of humor and had many interesting stories to tell about the place and Argentine history. The most interesting ones were about how the bodies of various famous people are often moved from one burial place to another even 20 years after their deaths, depending on who wants to do what with them... looks like RIP has no meaning here! It lasted for 2 1/2 hours - much longer than I had expected... of course, it cut into a Tango class I had planned to attend, but it was worth giving up one class for. The English tour happens only on Tuesday and Thursday at 11am; ther's a Tango lesson every day from 9am till midnight!

The other interesting thing about the burials here - none of the bodies/caskets are actually buried underground - they are all just placed in the 'house' belonging to the family. The Cemetary is like a little city with avenues, streets and houses, and the guide referred to the people who live there - a living breathing place for the dead....

A revisit to La Boca was on the cards after my cycling tour. When Carol mentioned she wanted to go, I hopped onto the bus with her and we spent hours walking around, window shopping, eating and drinking the whole afternoon... got home tired and dead beat but satiated in every way - delightful atmosphere with live music, tango dancers on the street and lots of people because it was a public holiday for Easter.

I had a very interesting Milonga class this week (I have only ever done 2 before this - it's a form of Tango done to faster music with a little bit of a swing to the movements). I managed to dance freestyle with a good dancer - he didn't realize I was a beginner - I was over the moon! It is a very satisfying feeling knowing that the time I am putting into learning is paying off!

As for Spanish lessons - they are progressing - I understand a lot more of what people say now . We have had 3 different teachers over the 4 lectures I have attended because of the Easter holidays . Hopefully it will settle down from next week. I learn a lot from watching CIS and Law and Order and reading the subtitles - watched more tv since I have been here than I ever did in New York!

My dream - owning a pair of real tango shoes - finally came true this week. And I am breaking into them - danced for 3 hours and survived! Quite a feat for my bunioned feet in high heels - 3".

Walking around has taken me through some of the places portenos don't go unless they have to - wholesale markets for fabric, sewing implements, buttons and beads, wholesale electrical and household markets and everything in between that you can think of... all on my search for Tango shoes or studios - an interesting way of exploring the city. I have eaten empanadas till I almost feel like one. I keep saying I must try something else but they are so 'eatable' on the run that I eventually end up with one or two and keep running on my way to wherever I was headed. Most have been reasonably good. Mind you, when you're hungry almost anything tastes good. Fresh fruit smoothies are amazing here. A huge jug/glass full for 6 - 8 pesos. Ask for Liquida Tutti Fruitti if you ever end up here - it's a mixed fruit smoothie and you get whatever they decide to mix into it. You can ask for it with milk or water (it si too thick to drink otherwise).

A visit to the Fine Arts Museum which is just behind the Recoleta Cemetary, both walking distance from my apartment, is a crash course on Argentinian art. Gives a very interesting insight into what the country and it's people used to be like. Some paintings, mostly done by European settlers, are quite stunning. It also has an extensive impressionist/European art collection.

I met up with Udai, a young, adventurous fellow Indian traveling the South American continent for a few months. Gave up his job with Microsoft in Bangalore (or take a long leave of absense - not sure) to do a round-the-world trip - just my type of spirit. He was introduced to me by Mr Vishwanathan, the Indian Ambassaddor. He's off to Chile and Peru then will also visit New Zealand before heading to Japan and Mongolia.

Stumbled upon the Museum of Hispanoamrican History and Art on one of my excursions. Interesting how much of a focus it has on religion where the Museum of Fine Arts had almost no mention of it. The mansion the museusm is housed in was donated by the owner along with the entire collection. Amazing how a place like this can exist in the middle of the city - with a beautiful garden and massive trees - an oasis of peace surrounded by skyscrapers. It has explanations (in Spanish) of how the lure of finding the Inca civilization with it's wealth of gold and silver attracted European settlers to this part of the world - thanks to Carol who translated for me, I was able to learn a little more than I would have otherwise of the history of how the various regions of this continent came to be.

Easter Sunday Carol, Udai and I decided to leave the city - we headed out to Tigre and San Isidro for a cycling tour - the best thing to do because there wasn't much to do in the city with it being a public holiday. A 40 minute train ride - believe it or not, it cost all of 1.10 pesos! - got us to our destination. I swear I could have been in India; the sights were so familiar - the towns, streets, shops, rooftops, construction - it could have been anywhere along the railway lines from Bombay to Pune or Delhi to anywhere! Just maybe not as crowded!

Tigre was stunningly beautiful. It is a 'beach resort' at the delta of the river Parana - many portenos from Buenos Aires own 'beach homes' in Tigre and go there for weekends and holidays - being Easter Sunday it was busy! Looked like the whole city had decided go to there to spend a beautiful sunny day out and have fun! We sure did!

The railway station itself was beautifully built - a huge brick walled room covered by a high ceiling/roof made of wood. A ride out and across the river took us to a tree lined avenue that meandered along one of the rivulets (for a better word) - the water looks filthy because it is full of sediments but they say it is not really that badly polluted - people do swim in parts of it. And catch fish to eat - I would worry about what's in them, but the locals certainly don't! We landed up at what used to be a casino in the 1900's but is now an arts museum - a stunning building from the belle epoque with stained-glass windows. The whole area has been beautifully landscaped and is a delight to visit. I have to go back and walk around there and visit the museum itself for which we didn't have time.

There's a thriving weekend market in Tigre where lots of happy people browe around for that special something - mainly handicrafts though they aren't necessarily local - lots of African masks and Asian clothes, etc. The market used to be a fruit market when fruit was the local produce - river sediments have put paid to that and now the fruit orchards have been replaced by wood plantations - so you find lots of solid wood furniture, some of it beautifully made. There were thick slabs of wood you could use for a rustic kitchen table - good for a country home! Again, I must go back to explore and take in the atmosphere - it was very welcoming and interesting.

We caught the train again to San Isidro, though had to abort the journey a station before we arrived - half the train's doors wouldn't open - we had to get off, so our guides decided to punish us by cycling to San Isidro - they must have thought we looked fit enough though I really had to test my will-power to keep going - I couldn't lose face in front of all the youngsters! - all the better for stronger legs for dancing - something good had to come out of it! It was worth it because the ride through the tiny town and country lanes was beautiful - it's very green and the streets are all tree-lined with quaint looking houses - some of them stunningly beautiful mansions, others that looked like little dolls houses - very small and cosy. We stopped at the 'beach' - a green grassed area (there's no sand to speak of - just a few rocks that I didn't see anyone venturing towards) where portenos from Buenos Aires escape to for some fun in the sun. There's a restaurant that serves a sumptuous buffet that looked tempting - unfortunately we had already eaten when we stopped at the market! Also spotted a weekend antiques/flea market that Carol and I plan to go back to. We finally got home later than expected but more than satisfied with a good day out in the sun.

And that wasn't the end of the day - came home for a quick 40 winks, showered and went out to a Cuban restaurant for a meal - Oye Chico! Food was so-so but got to dance Salsa again after ages - met Jorge - a Cuban Salsa teacher/professional performer and danced with him - got his stamp of approval on my dancing! We (Carol and Paula were with me) then went to a milonga though it turned out to be Swing night - so did some swing and some Tango. My first LATE night ended at 2am... I can't really say I have been to a milonga yet - it wasn't the real thing... so....

I continue on my discovery walks and enjoy myself - still have to go to a big Milonga - hopefully will do it this coming week.

Chou chou till next time

Week 2. 11 - 17 March 2008

Time passes so fast - its been an amazing time. I lunched with Monica on Friday, 14th March in San Telmo at a quaint old bar with a collection of dusty old glass bottles that must have dated back a century. Tortillas and Tutti Fruitti - a mixed fresh fruit smoothie - deliciously refreshing. She has an apartment, actually a block 2 stories high with 2 apartments -she rents the top floor out and saves the main apartment for her visits home. It has a tiny patio in the middle open to the sky with old hand-painted decorative tiles on the walls dating back to 1934 when the building was first built - at the same time as the Independence subway station which is adorned with painted tiles from the time it was built in the Seville style; it was built by an architect from Seville. Very interesting. There's also another subway close by (must revisit and note the name) with decorated tiles inspired by Granada - Arabic inscription and design detail. Fascinating! On some of the lines they still use the original train coaches which are made of wood and are almost 100 years old - you actually have to open and shut the doors yourself.

My tango lesson on Friday 14th March was a landmark event - I was surprized at the end of the lesson with a 'revelation' - I was invited to do a demo dance with the teacher for all the students of the school - apparently after having danced with me for a full number for the first time, the teacher was surprized at my abilities! I feel like I have accomplished something. Learning the Tango here is a slow and arduous process - still learning how to walk, yet, I can follow the lead and do most of the basic moves with a good lead. I haven't yet been to a big milonga but should do so somethime this week.

An article in the NY Times of Saturday 15 March describes Buenos Aires as the new discovery for travelers - I am surprized it took them so long to realize what a fabulous place it is - http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/03/16/travel/16buenos.html?ref=travel

I made a friend this week - Carol, a French woman from Lyon. Met her at the DNI dance studio - she accompanied me to my next tango lesson at Carlos Copello which she enjoyed thoroughly. She is also here for another 2 months which is a coincidence!

Saturday, 15th March turned out to be exhausting - I walked all the way downtown to attend a dance class at a studio I had never been to but came highly recommended only to find it closed so I decided to spend the day at the San Telmo market again. I ended up walking for over 4 hours. It was interesting meandering amidst the hustle and bustle, listening to tango orchestras enjoying entertaining the passers by. The empanadas, no matter where they're from, taste good - specially when you're hungry. I could have eaten a dozen after all the walking I had done! Thank goodness they're baked! My favorites are the carne (minced beef).

Sunday 16th March - a landmark day. I went for my first real Milonga with Carol. It was in an old-fashioned dance hall - we did a class in the basement where I got to dance with a few of the students who were ALL older locals - most of them over 60! Very polite and helpful. One of the ladies invited me to spend a Sunday in La Boca with her and her friend - both named Liliana. I danced a few Tangos and a few Milongas which is a faster and simpler version of the Tango. Attending Milongs seems to be a regular pastime for some people - they are there dancing most nights with their partners - very few dance with others, normally only if they are single. As a result there are a limited number of people to dance with. The etiquette followed is also very formal - women don't ever ask men to dance. Depending which dance hall you go to, the etiquette varies. At some place you have to look out for eye contact and a gentle nod of the head - you can accept or decline. At others you just sit - men on one side of the hall, women at the other, till someone comes and asks you - you could be sitting there all night if you don't know anyone. There are agencies where you can hire a 'taxi dancer', i.e. you can pay for a partner to go dancing with you. Probably a good way of guaranteeing being on the dance floor all night. Nothing like having your own partner with you, though. Hint, hint, Sharath! Can't wait for you to get here!

Chou, chou.

First 10 days in Buenos Aires - 3 - 10 March, 2008

I can't believe it's been 10 days already and at the same time, I feel like I've been here forever!

The first week was spent walking around the city - getting to know my neighbourhood and familiarizing myself with where to shop, banks, supermarkets, buy fresh fruit, landmarks and places of interest. I made a conscious decision not to refer to any guide books and not do anything touristic in the typical sense - not even take photographs unless it's a not-to-be-missed moment - just used a non-tourist map to find my way. It has been interesting finding surprises around the corner as I wandered around various parts of the city and explored some of them in greater details, saved others for later. This week I started using the local bus and subway system - the subway is simple and very easy to use. The buses are a challenge - very efficient system but have not found anyone who speaks English to explain how to use it yet.

The three interesting discoveries I have made:

1. The cemetery where some of the famous names of Argentine history are buried, e.g. Eva Peron - it is a stunning place (the whole cemetery) - saved most of it for later. I had just an hour for a walk before meeting someone for coffee and discovered it by sheer chance - there's also a bazaar just outside the cemetery on weekends so will probably go back there this Saturday and spend the day there.

2. The Eva Peron museum. Again, just walked into it by sheer chance while exploring north of where I live. The zoo and botanical gardens are in that direction (indicated on the map) and I had hoped to spend some time exploring those, but had to save them for another day. The museum was a quick history lesson into Eva's life and learned that she fought for the rights of women to vote and be voted - if she had lived longer she might have done much more - whether it would have been for the good of all is another question! Quite a woman! They have some black and white footage of archives from her days - very interesting. I ended my visit there with a relaxed lunch at the restaurant on the ground floor, out on the patio, under the sun. Grilled fish with mango sauce, grilled potatoes and arougla. And a shot (could they have served less?) of sabaglione (sp?) for dessert. Yummmmmm.

3. I did a cycling tour of the city during rush hour traffic and was amazed, that despite the traffic being like Bombay - with 16 million people in BA and with black and yellow cabs - it's easy to be like Bombay! - people actually slowed down and didn't even overtake us until it was safe. That's not to say the roads are normally safe; I have been warned to take care on the roads, but I must say, I was impressed. Starting at 9.30am we finished at 1.30 - cycling From San Martin square to the Retiro, the ports, through the newest development of Buenos Aires by the old ports across the bridge to the ecological reserve, to La Boca, the Italian District - a coffee break with a taste of Dulce de Leche - a hot favorite among locals - a sandwich of cookies with caramelized milk - divine! to San Telmo, the Italian district, where Buenos Aires and the Tango was first established. San Telmo looked different from my first visit last Sunday when the weekend market was in full swing with handicraft shops, buskers, musicians and tango dancers crowding the street - it happens every weekend and is a must do - even for the locals. It's full of life and color and antiques. Apparently the antique shops opened when the rich people living in the area abandoned their homes and moved further north when there was an outbreak of the plague (or black fever) in the early 1900's - the new immigrants who moved to Buenos Aires moved into their homes and started selling the things they found in there to survive - the shops just stayed...

I have been discovering different Tango studios over the past 10 days - there are so many and all the teachers I have been to so far have been good - each with their own style. I attended my first Spanish lesson at the University this morning - a good start. I can now ask and give my name, where I am from, my nationality and where I live and what I do in Spanish - a greater challenge for me since most others had only one place for 3 of the facts above - I had an interesting time explaining my situation - born Indian, NZ Citizen living in NY!

I visited the Indian embassy today at the Ambassador's invitation - an impressive office overlooking the Plata river. No waiting in lines here - you sit in a huge lounge and you get coffee with you visa - the sign says 'Visa con Cafe'! I had had dinner with Vishwathan and his wife Kasthuri and their son last Saturday night at a very good Indian restaurant that is owned by Inna's friend, Shahrukh, just around the corner from my apartment.

I finally met Vir's friend Gloria today - will be catching up with her again next week (Vir - Anil is arriving here tomorrow in case you didn't know).

I am going to have lunch with Monica, an Argentinian friend of Anu's from Bombay whom I had met while I was there in December. She just arrived on Sunday for a 3 month holiday and lives in San Telmo - close to where I go to Uni. Will be nice having a few friends around town - I feel like I actually live here.

I haven't been for a good Argentinean steak yet but have had a few empanadas - like a meat samosa. A quick snack food. I have been cooking for myself - made khichree today - as usual, there's enough for 20 people and no space in the fridge to keep it! I avoid eating too much at dinner though that's when most people meet here. Some restaurants don't even open for lunch! Kash - this is for you - the ice cream here is good!.

Chau for now.