City of Fair Winds

The ship spit us out in Rio de Janeiro. And let us back on. And we survived that day! After all the horrid stories of what could happen there that I have been hearing, we actually survived. Maybe it was because of our personal guide for the day - Bernardo from Chile - but maybe it also was because I was wearing the "lucky seed" necklace that I had bought in Barbados. In any case, we were quite lucky that day!! The weather  (no, I am not complaining about the heat) and the luck were on our side that day. Sunshine all day long. On the way up to Corcovado Mountain to have the same view that lucky guy called Christ the Redeemer has 365 days a year. On the way back down and past Sugarloaf Mountain. Along Copacabana and Ipanema Beach (but where did that girl hide :)). And also in the evening Samba Show. So a day full of success. After that, what was left of the cruise was spent 2 more days at sea (which we've had more than enough off) and in Uruguay at the Estancia La Rábida. A wonderful place and day, filled with Mate Tea, a carriage ride to the beach, the famous asado (my first time) and some cow milking and Uruguayan games. I liked it so much there that I decided to book a few days on an Estancia in Argentina. You'll be hearing about that in the next Blog.

The day to get off Queen Victoria after almost 4 weeks came quite fast after that. Birthday dinner on board and then it was Good Bye sea days the next morning. And Hola Buenos Aires. The city greeted us with rain. So I spent the morning in my very nice Hotel Loi Suites Arenales (very recommendable if anyone ever comes to Buenos Aires), uploading the daily pictures of the last days, which would have taken me hours to upload on the ship. I love free and fast Wifi :) But faster than I thought the sun came out again and it was time to start exploring the city. And there's so much to explore, see, feel and live here: colourful and vivid areas like La Boca. Artsy places like San Telmo (especially on a Sunday when the market is going on), reminding me of Montmarte in Paris. Modern and chic Palermo. Or overcrowded streets like Florida. The street where you can change money after every few meters. Cambio cambio. Change. Money change. By now, after one week, I can't hear it anymore. No, thank you, but I don't want to change money. Talking about money, the used Argentine Pesos look like they've gone through laundry machine after laundry machine. People, how are you treating your money ;))

To get around in Buenos Aires you can easily take buses, taxis or the underground, which is called subte here. Which I have never done up till now. Walking seems to be my thing here. Not that I am such a sporty girl. But, like the main character in the book that I am reading right now is saying: "It was exquisite to use my legs after so many stagnant months at sea." Not that I have been at sea for several months, though it might have seemed that way at some time. But I still felt like I needed to walk. That feeling has decreased a little now after one week, though I am still walking :) And you can walk through Uruguay, Paraguay, Peru, even though you are not actually there. You can also walk in streets where you have to walk in slalom. I am telling you, I have found "Shit Street" here!!! Or here they call it just simply República de la India, and it goes just along the Buenos Aires Zoo. I don't think the animals there are throwing their stuff over at night when no one is watching ;)

The thing I can't quite get over is, how empty and deserted everything is around here over the weekend. And I don't think it is because we've had a rainy weekend when I was here. It's not like I could check again over the next weekend, cause I will be gone by then ... but it seems that people are escaping the city life over weekends. Also, where I did not find an answer to yet (maybe someone can help?), why are they selling city cups of Rosario (a city of 4 hours North, where I am actually going next) at Starbucks here, and not of Buenos Aires? And one more unsolved riddle: even though it is not raining, there are splashes of water coming down from above. From heaven? Buildings? My friend Mari just told me yesterday that it is the AC. So maybe not so unsolved anymore. I guess that might be my answer to the last riddle. Just thinking about the leaking AC on the ship. And yeah, they are very much American here in Buenos Aires as on the ship. Outside freaking hot. Inside freezing cold. I don't seem to be able to escape this "problem" on this journey. I certainly think this won't change once I arrive in Los Angeles ...

One more day left now in the City of Fair Winds before heading on. I will take many memories with me in my "luggage of mind". Especially the meetings with Mari, whom I had last seen 12 years ago. And also one place, one Cafe, that always drew me back there. There's always places like that when you travel, or even back home. Places you feel at home at. Siempre se vuelve a Buenos Aires. That's what it says in this Tango song. I hope it's true!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhnrlqqWBsM

 

"For those who are lost, there will always be cities that  feel like home."

 

- Simon Van Booy -