Much-needed family time

My mom and Bill were here visiting for 2 weeks! They left this past Wednesday, and I know I'm a bit late writing about it but I must say, it's taken me a while to ease back into my life after their visit. It was so hard to say good bye, and I'm just finally digesting the visit enough to write about it! Their visit was wonderful, fun, hilarious, and necessary to my sanity, and their departure was incredibly painful.

It's funny how you don't realize how homesick you are until a piece of home comes walking through the door. I've been here now for 4 months, and hadn't really felt homesick at all (I mean I missed people, but I wouldn't really classify it as homesickness per se), and having visitors just brought it all back into my head. I started thinking about my life at home with not only them but with my other family (my dad, my niece, my sister), my friends, my bicycles.... haha! Yes, it's true.

Anyhoo, though I'm sad it's over, we had such a great time together!!! I laughed so hard I cried on many occasions. My family is ridiculous, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Basically, we ate our way through Buenos Aires for 2 weeks straight, with the occasional excursion or activity tossed in for good measure. I'd been making lists of restaurants I wanted to try for weeks, and took full advantage while they were here! After all, a place that feels expensive for someone earning in pesos is still incredibly cheap when looked at from the American dollar perspective. For example, a fancy steak dinner, including appetizers, side orders and wine generally comes out to around $20 USD per person, which is just crazy.

Here were some of our favorites:

1. La Brigada-- A well known and celebrated parrilla in my neighborhood of San Telmo boasting juicy steaks, outstanding service, and a comfortable ambiance complete with a live piano and accordion player. We fell in love with our waiter, Jorge, our juicy bife de chorizo, the provoleta, and the panqueque de dulce de leche for dessert, which Jorge literally drowned in hot molten chocolate.

2. Cantina Pierino-- We never would have found this place if it hadn't been for the expert recommendation of my friend Liz, who promised us "the best Italian food in the city." Daaaaaamn she was right!!! The place has a spectacular Italian-tastic ambiance, sprinkled with members of the original owner's family bustling about serving, cooking, and checking in with customers.... it's now on the 4th generation! Something clearly must be working. I will never forget the plate of homemade raviolis I ate, smothered in a creamy garlic, porcini mushroom, and chard sauce. To die for.



3. La Cholita-- The place is owned by the same people who run Cumaná right next door, and although Cumaná is the one that seems to get all the raves, we tried both, and we all unanimously preferred La Cholita for its eclectic menu, huge portions, veggie-friendliness (my mom and Ali split a spectacular roasted veggie plate, and couldn't even finish it), and fun atmosphere. I adored my chicken skewers, and might have even finished them if I hadn't loaded up on their free homemade bread loaves while we sipped wine and waited. Worth the wait-- and wait, you will.

4. El Desnivel-- From the outside, you would never know that inside are quite possibly the best steaks in town... in Bill's and my humble opinions, anyway. I mean, oh man, I was rocking a pretty serious steak baby after our meal, and it was worth it! My mom also enjoyed her first chicken milanesa, and all was devoured. We loved the service, the plastic tablecloths, and the bang for our buck. Not to mention, one of the best slabs of meat ever placed in front of me.



5. Origen Café-- It's less than a block from my house. How had I never been there before?! Serving up foods made with all organic, free-range ingredients, this little café also serves up one of the biggest and most satisfying cups of café con leche I have had in Argentina. I enjoyed a hearty bowl of vegetarian lentil and veggie soup, served with warm whole grain bread. I'll be back with my laptop soon to take advantage of the free wi-fi and chill atmosphere.

Warning: my fingers are getting tired, so my reviews are going to start getting shorter...

6. Café Tortoni-- We saw an incredible, traditional tango show here, and had some delicious cakes after the show. A historical site, and a must-see.



7. La Cabrera-- Probably one of the most well-known parrillas in the city, and deserving of its reputation. Delicious food, huge portions, diverse side orders, but a bit touristy.

8. El Federal-- One of the oldest places to eat in San Telmo, and right across the street from my house, I can literally look through the windows from my bedroom.... creepy. Anyway, great sandwiches, great burgers, terrible service. What's not to love?

9. El Nacional-- Another gem located right the street from me in San Telmo, we had one of our favorite lunches of the trip here. Mmmmm... I'm still thinking about my grilled chicken panini. This place also turns into a fun dance spot at night.

10. Bio-- A yummy 100% vegetarian restaurant located in trendy Palermo Hollywood. My food was over-salted, but overall the place was yummy, and it was nice to see things like seitan and tofu on a menu for a change. I'd go back.

And that, friends, marks the end of my restaurant blabbery!!! We went to about 15-20 different places overall for lunches and dinners, but I can't possibly write about them all!

We also did more than eat. Their first weekend here, we had an amazing 2 day and 1 night stay at an estancia called Don Silvano, about 30 minutes from a cute town called San Antonio de Areco, in the provincia of Buenos Aires (aka outside the city). There, we sampled the gaucho lifestyle by riding horses, watching traditional folk dancing, and chowing down on asado. We made some new friends (there were a surprising number of locals there, given the touristy nature of the whole thing), and and had a really relaxing time. My mom and I also bought ourselves pairs of alpargatas, which are the traditional shoes worn in Argentina. They are suuuuuper comfortable, and more importantly, dirt cheap!

They also really wanted to meet my friends, so we invited 10 of my favorite people over to their rental apartment in Recoleta, bought a huuuge amount of empanadas and far too much wine, and all sat around eating and drinking one afternoon. It was great! It gave them a chance to meet my [amazing] friends, and my friends a chance to see where all my insanity comes from. ;-) The best part was that everyone loved each other, got along great, and had a fun time, so I'd say it was a big success.

My mom had some bad luck here-- she got slipped a counterfeit $20 peso bill (sadly, this is quite common), almost got robbed on the subte when she caught a woman digging through her purse (also, sadly common), and learned the hard way several times that change, especially monedas, are hard to come by (now do you believe me?!).

I'll be honest though-- ugh this is going to come out wrong. But something about knowing that my mom and Bill had to experience some of the really crappy aspects of living here, like getting ripped off or having someone refuse to make you change (as the 'rents put it, 'you have to spend money to get money' because people won't give you change unless you buy enough stuff) made me feel like they better understand my experience here and what I deal with each day, and thus made me feel a bit better. At least now when I complain about monedas or the subte or the sketchy taxis, I have someone back home to commiserate with. :-/

Anyway, back to activities. During the week, we saw the Cementerio de Recoleta, Puerto Madero, San Telmo, Palermo, downtown and the famous Calle Florida, La Boca, and lots of sights, like the Casa Rosada and the mechanical flower. I continued to work my full work schedule, so while I was off working, my mom and Bill had time to explore the parks of Palermo, wander the streets of the city, and even go to Colonia, Uruguay for the day (which they looooved!).

Here they are strolling through Puerto Madero at sunset:


And of course my mom and I had to have our picture taken in front of this HILARIOUS statue:


Their second weekend here, we headed to Tigre, just outside the city. Tigre is known for its gorgeous river and ecological reserves and islands to explore, and is a very outdoorsy place to be... which was interesting, because the day we were there it was pouring rain!!! Bad luck. Though I initially advised against going in the rain, they still wanted to go, because getting there involved a scenic train ride that they didn't want to miss, so we headed out. It turned out to be well worth it! The train ride on the Tren de la Costa was lovely, comfortable, and scenic, and also very cheap. However, when we finally got to Tigre, there was literally a downpour, and we didn't know what to do with ourselves in a river town in weather like that. The market was closed, and there was no one around. A tour guide named Fernando ended up taking us under his wing. I don't know how it happened, but somehow he and I got to talking, and he offered to drive us into town to a restaurant, so we could at least eat lunch and look at the water. Next thing we know, we are all piling into his tiny, cluttered little car, and he mumbles an apology to us which Bill swears was "Sorry for the mess. I have a dog, and cat, and a kid with 3 assholes."

Hahaha!!! So of course we spent the entire afternoon making jokes about "the 3 assholes."

Anyway, Fernando ended up giving us a driving tour of the area, recommending a delicious restaurant (unfortunately I forget the name) and dropping us off at the door, and then after all that, refusing to accept a tip for his services. We just got lucky, and spent the rest of the afternoon stuffing our faces, drinking wine, and being thankful for him. Honestly, though we didn't see much of Tigre, it ended up being one of our most fun days, because we just sat and laughed and laughed and laughed all afternoon and enjoyed each other's company!

The following day I took the 'rents to the San Telmo market, which I've blogged about in the past. There, they enjoyed their first choripan (chorizo on bread, served with the always-amazing chimichurri sauce), which they became instantly (and rightfully) obsessed with. What's not to love?! My mom also got herself a mate, so she may be sitting at home in Massachusetts sipping on some mate right now! :-)

The three of us just had good, clean fun. We laughed, we cried. We discussed my future, and they of course became confused when I tried to explain why I needed to stay here for at least a full year, even though I'm not necessarily "happy." (It's complicated, and involves a promise I made to myself, one I don't expect you to understand.) It was very emotional, and also very special. They missed me a lot, and I realized how much I missed them, and everyone back home. Having a little taste of them being here made it all the more difficult to see them go. The last day was difficult, and of course my mom and I sobbed our eyes out as their taxi pulled away and took them to the airport. But really, I wouldn't change a thing. I am just lucky I had some visitors and some family time, that I had an excuse to do so much fun stuff, and that I got showered with so much love for 2 weeks.

A bit of tourism

Before this weekend arrives, I want to tell you about some of the fun things I did last weekend!

Friday night was Nathan and Paul's last night in town (they had just returned from a trip to Patagonia-- lucky boys!) so I headed out for pizza and beer with them, Ali, and Bata. We scarfed down tons of pizza con jamón, fugazzeta (carmelized onion pizza), and faina (a baked chickpea paste dish), and enjoyed the togetherness while it lasted.



Then we headed over to a fun little expat bar called the Red Door in San Telmo, where we met up with a bunch of my classmates and drank some more. I ended up going to bed at 5:00am-- how Argentine of me! In fact, that's early. (For them, not for me!)

Anyway, one of my TEFL classmates, Paul, lives here in the dorm with me, and he and I decided to spend Saturday seeing some sights. After all, I'd been here for a week already and felt like I hadn't seen anything or gotten my bearings straight at all, since I'd been chained to the books all week! So after waking up late, due to the prior evening's festivities, we decided to take off on Saturday afternoon to see the famous Cementerio de la Recoleta.

The Recoleta Cemetery is like nothing I have ever seen before! It's more like a small city than a cemetery, with rows and rows of tall mausoleums to wind through and peak into. It's very cool, and looks like this:



It also happens to be where Eva "Evita" Duarte de Perón is buried! Here's me hanging out at her family mausoleum.



...and hanging around the tombs...



Once we'd wandered around the cemetery for a while baking in the sun (it was getting HOT!) we wandered down the hill and passed through a fun little outdoor weekend market filled with hippies selling incense and clothing and banging on drums. It was a gorgeous little park, with a view of the Retiro neighborhood off in the distance:



...and then we went on a search for "La Flor Gigante," the famous giant flower sculpture of Buenos Aires. Found!



It is so cool. This piece of art is not only enormous, but it is also solar-powered, and so the flower actually opens and closes with the sun. How cool is that?!

Then we gave a call to our friend Megan, another classmate of ours, and we all wandered over to Puerto Madero to attempt a glimpse at the ever-elusive Rio de la Plata. I am pretty sure I never actually saw it, though. I think we were just looking at some sort of offshoots or canals or something. But they were brown. Just like the Rio de la Plata. Brown. Quite disappointing, actually.



The area itself, other than some cool boats, a really weird bridge, and a Hooters, is sort of boring. It's sad really-- I personally think they should do more with the area and make it a bit livelier, since it's on the water and everything! It reminds me, creepily enough, of Boston's Financial District in the way that it was just totally dead on the weekend and filled with buildings. It's saving grace is that there is a massive and beautiful 900 acre ecological reserve there. 900 ACRES! Plus, we found some delicious ice cream to pass the time.



The ice cream melted in about 2.5 seconds, because by this point in the day the temperature had reached around 104 degrees. GAH! And guess who forgot to wear sunscreeen????



UGH. I should NOT have worn a big circular necklace! (The good news is, the burn has faded quite a bit since Saturday, and people don't seem to be laughing at me anymore! Yay!)

We hung out in Puerto Madero for a while, marveling at both the enormity of the reserve, and the extreme dedication of the locals to tanning. While watching browned men and women bake themselves purposefully in the sun, us gringos tried to focus on staying hydrated.

Then, the 3 of us walked in the baking sun all the way to the neighborhood of San Telmo (one I'm scoping out to possibly live in-- but we'll see) to check the scene. When we arrived in Plaza Dorrego, it was like an oasis in the desert... We plunked ourselves at a shady cafe table in the middle of the plaza, listened to a musician perform, and enjoyed several ice cold beers.



It would have been perfect had it not been for the nauseating make-out session going on for 30 minutes straight next to us. Yes, I took this sketchy stalker picture, because I want you all to share in my horror:



THIS, my friends, is Argentina in a nutshell. COUPLES SUCKING FACE. People make out EVERYWHERE at ALL TIMES. No shame, these ones. None. Ugh, get a room.

Anyway, we had a great time sitting in the plaza (other than the aforementioned traumatic scenery), and got to see a couple perform tango in the plaza, hear a few street musicians, see some funky local artists selling their things, and browse an antique market (overpriced!). We even ran into some sort of festival going on in the streets as we wandered around, where a very strange breed of music was playing, all dressed up in different animal costumes and carrying strange flags, and everyone in the crowd was squirting foamy silly string stuff! It was bizarre, and after several beers, quite amusing.



Finally, it occurred to the 3 of us that we were ravenous, and we decided to go right for it and go to a parrilla for steaks. So we took the subte (the BA subway) over to San Nicolás, where we went to a restaurant called La Parrilla Peña, and I enjoyed the single best slice of meat I have ever had in my entire life. People, I am not exaggerating. This bife de chorizo (kind of like a prime rib) was almost crunchy and blackened on the outside, pink on the inside, and tender all the way through. I also managed to pack away mashed potatoes (the Argentines know how to make 'em right!), an empanada, and share a salad. Oh, my! I have not been that full in ages. As my mom would say, I was "Thanksgiving full." This picture doesn't come close to doing it justice, but I'll post anyway:



I am going to gain 500 pounds here if I don't join a gym soon. Which brings me to my conclusion-- I am apartment hunting. I am looking for a place in either the San Telmo, Palermo, or Recoleta neighborhoods, something that is both nice and affordable, which as an American, is a tall order. Wish me luck-- I'm visiting a place this Saturday that sounds pretty cool. And once I have my new apartment and neighborhood decided on, then I can think about doing settling-in things like joining a gym.