Buenos Aires - the united colours of La Boca

Buenos Aires (Argentina)
20 August 2012

Now tell me if this line makes sense to you, '...it's a place where time and space are consumed but only coffee is found on the bill'? Alright, so you can't actually make sense of that line unless I provide you with a dose of context. What I'm referring to here is the 'Viennese coffee house experience' and I guess from what I know, the line appears to be a rather contrived and all too kitsch way of describing an apparent cultural cornerstone of the Viennese way of life. Now I don't have it in me to be too critical of the Viennese and their  extraordinary coffee house experience, partly because I'm 25%-50% Austrian (yes I'm still uncertain as it depends on your point of view) and of the 25% that is unequivocal, the  grandfather  that I'm referring to was born and bred in Vienna, but.....but....I ask you this,was it a wise decision for the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage to accept and ratify the nomination of 'The Experience' into the list of intangible cultural treasures that require safeguarding and preservation? I mean I've been to Vienna, they certainly don't have the best coffee on earth and whilst the argument  that has been made is that the rituals, social practices and elegance makes for a unique experience, I say to them, 'You went with what now!?'. You're telling me that your claim to intangible fame, your pride and your interest in cultural  heritage ,and your request for defence and protection relates to where you can acquire a Vienna coffee and consume time and space free of charge? Guys to me it seems that the time and space that you've been consuming has been in the coffee houses of Amsterdam and forever since then you've been searching for the holy grail of the White Castle slider!

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If you've stuck with me up until this point and you're wondering what sort of tenuous line of reasoning that I'm going to use in order to draw a parallel between Vienna and Buenos Aires then check out the long bow I'm about to draw and let me hit you with my  own dose of commonality. The common thread here is the tango, that most passionate and seductive of dances, that now, along with Viennese coffee house culture, is included as an item warranting protection on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list. You see what I did there? I managed to make my way from Vienna to Buenos Aires within a sentence, and better still, if you'll let me indulge you a little further, I'll narrow down my sphere of discussion to where I actually ventured on this day, that being to one of the poorest barrios in the city, La Boca.

 Tango in La Boca - Buenos Aires - Argentina

 Tango in La Boca - Buenos Aires - Argentina

The tango in its modern form originated in the lower class barrios of Buenos Aires with it's metaphorical heart beating proudly, both then and now, in La Boca. Now from what I've heard originally,it was a dance engaged in by men solely, practiced in the vicinity of bordellos prior to the time that the manly Portenos headed on up the creaky stairs of their 'local' and 'got jiggy wit it'. That representation of its early origins may be an urban myth or perhaps at the very least, clouded within elements of truth, much in the same way that I heard that bulls blood was utilised to paint the Casa Rosada,but,as an intangible cultural item that needs to be preserved? Well that is something that I can totally understand. I readily admit that until recently the tango didn't move me at all, in fact the only dance that 'I got' to this point in my life was  the salsa. But after stumbling by a few cafes and halls and allowing myself to be swept up in the intense persona and atmosphere of this dance and it's  very own rituals I came to realize very quickly that there is something quite unique  about it. The tango imparts an electric vibe that feels completely representative of the Latin spirit but also tips a hat to its European influences. I believe that previously I either hadn't allowed myself to feel its power or perhaps deliberately dismissed it because dancing has never been my thing, but this time it caught me squarely on the jaw and now I'm absolutely a convert.

 El Caminito - La Boca - Buenos Aires - Argentina

 La Boca - Buenos Aires - Argentina

 La Boca - Buenos Aires - Argentina

La Boca isn't just tango heartland, it's also famous for the colorful houses that are pervasive in the area, especially in the pedestrian street of Caminito. Back in 2010 I came down here for an afternoon but managed to do a mighty idiotic thing by not charging my camera battery prior to my visit, such a rookie mistake if there ever was one! So after having jumped a train down to Constitucion and then practicing my Spanish during a short cab ride I was back onto the 'Little Walkway' in La Boca a couple of years removed from my first Boca experience.

La Boca - Buenos Aires - Argentina

 La Boca - Buenos Aires - Argentina

 La Boca - Buenos Aires - Argentina

This barrio is so engaging for what it offers visually but stumbling off the traditional tourist path and venturing into the 'apparently' intimidating and crime infested back streets of the barrio was just the tonic that I needed to dissolve what I saw as being all too concocted and formulaic. I'm always amazed by the tourist 'advice' offered in guidebooks about where you should and shouldn't venture in certain cities, I mean if you followed all of the advice on offer you'd end up drinking coffee at a Starbucks, staying in your generic Hilton hotel and witnessing the delights of another city via the top deck of a double decker bus.Guidebooks and advisories should really harden the hell up and become realistic rather than provide advice that's all candy cane and fairy floss.

The colours of La Boca - Buenos Aires - Argentina

 The colours of La Boca - Buenos Aires - Argentina

 The colours of La Boca - Buenos Aires - Argentina

An empanada lunch! Thank you!!

Historically La Boca was an Italian dominated neighbourhood whose natural economic support stemmed from the nearby docks. In turn the specific nature and color scheme of the buildings in the area has its origins derived from the ships that would make port there. It was said that quite frequently the dock workers of Boca would either ask or quite surreptitiously obtain any leftover paint that the ships had brought in,utilising their offerings in a patchwork quilt style manner that has now become synonymous with the barrio.

 La Boca - Buenos Aires - Argentina

 La Boca - Buenos Aires - Argentina

 La Boca - Buenos Aires - Argentina

As I cruised the backstreets of Boca I found my way to the famous La Bombonera, (the Chocolate Box), and the home ground of Boca Juniors. This is one of the'footballing' grounds of the world that I had always wanted to visit. In my mind it had always had a type of mythical allure, accentuated by Diego Maradona's stint in the 'Swedish' team colors but cemented by memories of grainy images of games from La Bombenera that I would occasionally get to see on SBS's 'The World Game' on Saturday afternoons in the very early 80's. In the memories that I have of those games I recall a stadium that would always be full of the voice and song of the Boca Juniors faithful, but more than that, and much more so than any other ground that I could remember, the atmosphere was always confronting, intimidating, passionate, fierce and in some ways disarming. It was also so very different to any other football match that I had witnessed at that stage of my existence. My only live game experience up until that point in my life had been those that I had watched with my dad at  the infamous 'Gabbie stadium' in Seven Hills supporting the mighty Blacktown City Demons as they played in the league known then as the NSL. I mean that was pretty cool too and it was the only time that my Serbian father would ever allow me to have a good 'ole pie with sauce, which to me was also a highlight, but it was no La Bombonera now was it? So my visit to The Chocolate Box was going to be just a touch on the exciting side.

The famous #10 of its most famous of sons

 

 La Bombonera - La Boca - Buenos Aires - Argentina

All Boca - all the time!

I did the standard tour of the stadium and I absolutely loved it! It's obviously a 'built for purpose' football stadium, meaning that there's no running track circling the pitch, the stands being so steeply terraced that from pitch level it would certainly feel that the crowd was sitting on top of you and the first row of seats commence no more than 2mtrs from the pitch markings. On game day , with it's 49,000 person capacity, this place would be an absolute cauldron of passion and weighty with atmosphere. What I also love about this ground is its location. It's a typical neighbourhood ground located in the heart of Boca, right across the street are residential buildings, small convenience stores and 'Ma and Pa' style restaurants that you could only assume cater to pre and post match crowds. It's kind of gritty in a sense but you  what you also realise is that the sanctity of this place in the minds of the local community and the  place that the team has in the DNA of its local supporters  is what acts as the very glue that bonds this very proud corner of what is an amazingly beautiful city.

 La Bombonera - La Boca - Buenos Aires - Argentina

  La Bombonera - La Boca - Buenos Aires - Argentina

  La Bombonera - La Boca - Buenos Aires - Argentina

As the tour was winding up I thought to myself 'how cool it would be to actually see a game here' but considering it was midweek I didn't think there would be another opportunity until the weekend and unfortunately I was due to fly north on the coming Sunday. Somehow however a question that I asked our guide was fabulously and fortunately misinterpreted by her and she dropped the critical information that I was craving, that being that Boca Juniors actually had a mid-week game at home in two days time and tickets were still available. That my friends was the only invitation that I needed! Obviously I was going to be there!!!!

 Back streets of Boca -La Boca - Buenos Aires - Argentina

 La Boca - Buenos Aires - Argentina

  La Boca - Buenos Aires - Argentina

After the tour I walked back down to the docks and found myself a bus to take me up to Puerto Madero, a waterfront barrio of BA occupying a significant portion of the Rio de la Plata riverbank. Over the years this area of docks and warehouses had fallen into disrepair and was a well known area for squatters. During the 90's however quite a substantial amount of money was poured into regenerating Puerto Madero and now it stands as an area filled with fantastic restaurants, clubs, hotels and some high rise residential blocks.

I walked around Puerto Madero for a while, observing the oddity that is the city development of BA, being that the city has kind of 'turned its back' on the Rio de la Plata and only utilises it as an afterthought. Most of city is built away from the banks of the river and it feels somewhat strange that there was a conscious decision by planners to ignore a significant geographical feature.

 Puerto Madero - Buenos Aires - Argentina

 

Punta de la mujer - Puerto Madero - Buenos Aires - Argentina

Punta de la mujer - Puerto Madero - Buenos Aires - Argentina 

 Puerto Madero - Buenos Aires - Argentina

As the sun dropped over the city I wandered back to San Telmo and completely crashed out when I got to the hostel, it was 5:30pm - the next thing I knew the sun was coming up and it was 5:30am. Twelve hours removed and ready to go at it again!

Buenos Aires - Silencio es salud

Buenos Aires (Argentina) 

19 AUG 2012

Silencio es salud (Silence is health) is one of the more 'intruiging' signs that was hung on the Obelisco de Buenos Aires during the mid 70's term of the then Peronist government led by President Isabel Martinez de Peron.It was 'alleged' by government officials that the intention and placement of the sign was to act as a deterrent to motorists from creating excessive noise whilst driving along the Avenida 9 de Julio, and of course everywhere else in the city. It was widely interpreted however as a none too obvious statement by the government that any voiced disapproval of their policies and methodology would be seen as being active aggression against them and in turn could also be considered as 'potentially hazardous' to those political dissidents voicing their disapproval. Kind of ironic in a sense considering the National Reorganisation Process instigated by the military junta that came to power after their own coup of 1976, and consequentially, the instigation of their seven year Dirty War  where  'forced disappearnces'  of individuals on ideological grounds was considered the norm. It was a grave, and is now,  an overwhelmingly suppressed period of time in the psyche of most Argentinians, the echo of which has carried on down the years and  is  displayed in the obvious reluctance of individuals to talk about the period. The mental scaring of the population, whilst not entirely visible, has an left an indelible mark on their society reflected sociologically within the way their organizations and institutions function, the manner in which their 'way of life' operates and also in their form of development generally. Whilst I'm not complaining about the 'way things work, I am intrigued at how historical events, and more pointedly, politically driven trauma, manifests itself within their sociological fabric. Things can turn slowly here. There is the overwhelming sense that bureaucracy has put the brakes on progress, but with that said, the passion that these people have for their families and life in general is something that's unparalleled! It's one of the things that I love about this place, and whilst it's not quite tangible it's definitely evident in their spirit.

Obelisco de Buenos Aires - Buenos Aires - Argentina

Obelisco de Buenos Aires - Buenos Aires - Argentina

Evita on Avenida 9 de Julio - Buenos Aires - Argentina

I don't know why eras such as that of the Argentine military junta from 1976-1983 fascinate me. It's kind of like the fascination that I have for Pol Pots' agrarian socialist revolution of 1975 or the Rwandan genocide of 1994. I think my interest is triggered by the dark, morbid hysteria that exists in those periods and also by how collectively, a people allowed for such atrocities to occur. I mean I know that sounds a little simplistic but an interest always needs to begin somewhere, but as always I digress.

 I woke up on this Sunday morning in Buenos Aires relatively early and went out to immerse myself in my favourite BA barrio of San Telmo. Old world charm, a little bit of Paris, a little bit of Madrid, all  wrapped up within its own BA style. San Telmo is one of the oldest barrios in BA, filled with deteriorating old colonial style buildings, cafes, bars, parrillas, antique stores and tango parlours. It's filled with character and the vibrancy of life. It makes me feel good just walking the streets at any time.

San Telmo on an early Sunday morning - Buenos Aires - Argentina

San Telmo - Buenos Aires - Argentina

Calle Chile - San Telmo - Buenos Aires - Argentina

My first stop of the day was a little north of San Telmo at Casa Rosada, the official executive mansion and office of the Argentine President. A little known tidbit about the building, something that I didn't know until recently, the (pinkish/reddish) colour of the exterior comes from a mixture of limestone and bulls' blood. Apparently limestone was used to protect the exterior from speedy deterioration that would have been induced by the humidity of BA, and the bulls' blood....?? That I don't know. They're Latin, maybe that just thought it to be extremely macho or something? I checked out the museum for a little while and whilst not that entertaining it allowed me to practice my Spanish reading skills, which I must say are coming along nicely now. The location of the building is on the eastern side of Plaza Mayor which since the foundation of the city in 1580 has been the epicentre of most things politically related and is also the place where the human activist group Asociacion Madres de Plaza Mayor initially use to gather. If you wanted to know more about that group then I recommend that you look it up, it's Dirty War related, I can't really do them justice and somehow the politicized nature of their 'group' has become quite contentious.

Casa Rosada - Buenos Aires - Argentina

Casa Rosada interior - Buenos Aires - Argentina

As I tend to do in most places that I visit, I just walk. I don't ever jump on those garish double decker buses or take 'private guided' tours, I prefer a place to allow itself to wash over me in its own manner and time. So I headed up  Avenida Roque Saenz Pena and hung out with that good 'ole BA landmark, Obelisco de Buenos Aires on Avenida 9 de Julio. Now for all of you that don't know, Av 9 de Julio is wide, like ridiculously wide! You could cross it in one hit but you would have to run. I've seen people bridge the gap, taking the avenue at full sprint, but realistically it'll take two shots to make it at a decent walking pace.

San Telmo markets - Buenos Aires - Argentina

Masses in the markets - San Telmo - Buenos Aires - Argentina

Now that's a sausage fest! San Telmo - Buenos Aires - Argentina

Sunday in San Telmo is an absolute gift. My first experience of  'ST Sundays' was quite accidental. Two years earlier my frind Dina and I had stumbled upon the Sunday 'antiques fair' that also masquerades as a market and culinary emulsion of Argentinian and indigenous cuisine. This time I was prepared for the journey down Defensa, which with Sunday hordes, market stalls, odd ball musicians and its diversity of food can literally take hours. The route from the top of Defensa to the end (to the end of the markets) is literally kilometres in length and a slow meandering walk with frequent malbec and morcipan stops is an absolute treat for someone whose dietary requirements of red wine and meat is flooded by options and opportunity here. I love it, it's as simple as that. On this day the sun is out, the smell of smokey burnt meat wafts tantalizingly over the crowds and I am in my happy place. This is exactly what I was wanting Buenos Aires to provide me, this is what my BA dreams were comprised of, and without doubt the city knows how to deliver. Of late I've come to realize that some places can just make you feel at home. They don't necessarily have to be the most attractive of cities, they just need to have soul, passion and and a bit of vibrancy. These cities send out the invites and all you need to do is RSVP.

This guy sings for the crowds each Sunday. I took a photo of him back in 2010, and here he is two years later

San Telmo - Buenos Aires - Argentina

San Telmo - Buenos Aires - Argentina

San Telmo on a lazy Sunday afternoon

Barney Stinson in old age - San Telmo - Buenos Aires - Argentina

Argentinian steak for beginners

The average intake of beef is around 70kg per person per year, though in the past Argentines ate even more (can you believe it!?)/ Most of this consuming takes place at the family asado, often held on Sunday in the backyards of houses all over the country .Here the art of grilling beef has been perfected. This usually involves cooking with coals and using only salt to prepare the meat and then soaking it in the ubiquitous chimmichurri, a sauce made of finely chopped parsley, garlic, chili, oil and red wine vinegar. I make my own chimmichurri these days and have my meat rest on it for a while after I've finished being all 'manly' on the grill, but that's another story.

Emerging from the family tradition of the asado is the steak house. In San Telmo you could trip over yourself and land squarely at a table in a steakhouse without trying, they're everywhere. For me that's the way life should be. Meat here is also treated in the manner that it should be, it's not tortured or 'deconstructed' or made into a 'meat foam' that you suck up through a straw. It's the real deal, it's plentiful and absolutely delicious!

In any parrillda you can get the following cuts of done to your liking, bife de chorizo (sirloin; a thick, juicy and popular cut), (bife de costilla T-bone; a cut close to the bone; also called chuleta), (bife de lomo tenderloin; a thinly cut, more tender piece),(cuadril - rump steak; often a thin cut),(ojo de bife – ribeye; a choice smaller morsel),(tira de asado – shortribs; thin strips of ribs and meat sliced crosswise),( vacío – flank steak; textured and chewy, but very tasty), and of course many, many more. On this night I head to a familiar parrilla named Don Ernesto on Carlos Calvo in San Telmo. During my last visit to BA in 2010 I had eaten here twice. The portions are insanely large, the ambience is quintessentially Argentinian and the Malbec is 'on tap', well, kind of.

Don Ernesto on Carlos Calvo - San Telmo - Buenos Aires - Argentina

'Oh yeah - let the meat lovin' begin!!' - Parrilla Don Ernesto - San Telmo - Buenos Aires - Argentina

I take my seat in Don Ernesto, order up a morcilla, bottle of malbec and a bife de chorizo...man oh man, I'm set to roll! As I sit waiting to be induced into my food coma I see a man walk in with his wife who takes a seat a couple of tables away. I don't know why but his manner kind of intrigued me. The following is what I wrote, word for word, whilst sitting at the table and obseving his actions.

Silencio es salud en Don Ernesto

A man walks into a parrilla, wearing a light training jacket, one which hangs elegantly over his well honed belly. His expression smacks of a certain distaste for this parrilla, not for the quality of food that it will offer but rather simply for the fact that the amount will never satisfy the enduring yearn for meat that this typical Porteno has.

Parrilla man of Don Ernesto - Like a boss!

He stands at the side of his table, master of his domain, owning his environment, an obvious goliath amongst a throng of minnows and pretenders. He unzips his tracksuit top with purpose (this is a lethal contact sport my friends, make no mistake about it, this is both serious and personal). Unlike the common parrilla jockey that would place their jacket on the back of their chair, this master of meat scrunches his up and tosses it with disdain onto the seat next to him. He won't be needing that for a while! His wife, scornful and with the shooting pain of embarrassment that only the wife of a parrilla maestro feels, admonishes him for the action. This is the only time that I see this man of meat falter. He takes the jacket back but only to scrunch it up once again and throw it onto the very same seat beside him.

What to have? The meat or the meat?

Their waiter arrives but he's nothing more than a sideshow in this carnival. This man has lived perhaps half his life in this establishment, he looks straight ahead with slight apathy and weariness. His eyes slightly glazed, he looks into the distance as his waiter almost apologetically confirms his 'usual' order.

In the moments before his 'test' commences he chats casually with his wife, looking absently at the walls surrounding him he comments;

'I've lost quite a few good men in here'

His wife looks at him squarely in the eyes, she doesn't utter a word but you can see that she's thinking 'you are such a dickhead'.

The starters arrive and a slight smirk breaches his lips. When his wife asks him 'Is it good?' his cutting look back screams 'Of course it's f$*king good, I know my food and THEY KNOW ME!' ...never the less he says nothing and just nods with absolute antipathy.

Napkin scrunched in his hand, held close to his brow, a picture of concentration, he carves through his starter like an absolute professional. A bottle of water rests on the table, unsure of its own place in the universe of this mighty man.

When the mains arrive there is complete silence, as you know, it is for the health of all. He chews deliberately. I would like to say thoughtfully but I know that would be a lie. He is agitated, he almost looks angry, knowing that his experience will be over all too soon and that his 'parrilla fix' will undoubtedly lead to an unnerving craving which will only be satisfied by a return. It's an evil cycle, perpetuated by craving, desire and the quest for the ultimate carnivorous high.

I ask for la cuenta, square myself up with the house and exit the establishment before I witness the conclusion to this epic evening. The malbec has found its way to my head and I in turn to the streets of San Telmo. For this evening my path leads elsewhere, to a place where I can lift more glasses and enjoy wild fountains of red.

A great place to end the night - La Poesia on calle Chile - San Telmo - Buenos Aires - Argentina

 

Buenos Aires - you had me at MEAT!

Sydney (Australia) - Buenos Aires (Argentina)
18 AUG 2012

Your life is filled with 'game changers', roads that will never ever be travelled and those little incidentals, or rather chance decisions that either did or didn't make an impact on where you find yourself at this very moment. Every now and then I think back to an intriguing middle aged man that JJ and I were somehow drawn to whilst traversing the back alleys of Chefchaouen in Morocco (Dr.Destiny). Without having to recount the story because the link is provided, Hammou at some point in our short conversation discussed his activities in undertaking trans-Saharan trade and how he and his 'pre-colonial' style trading caravan would regularly venture from Morocco, across the timeless sand dunes of the Sahara to fairy-tale like  Eastern African destinations, where he would acquire items of intrigue and rarity in order to sell in his Moroccan store of 'antiquities'. To me it was somewhat of a romantic notion, in a Lawrence of Arabia meets Paolo Coehlo's Alchemist type of way.

After leaving Chefchaouen the concept of the slow overland journey remained in my mind for weeks, so much so that I e-mailed Hammou several times in order to try and secure myself a berth on one of his cross contintental treks.He never replied. But there it was, in those moments of whimsical fantasy I worked hard at throwing away a life long dream of travelling to South America for the sake of riding on the back of a dromedary in 50+ degree temperatures, negating camel ball sweat, fountains of couscous and the inevitable shifty Arabian traders. It would have been an adventure though I'm sure, but it was the road that I never turned onto.

Sydney airport - flight AR1181 ready to roll!

My standard pre-flight ritual - Sydney Airport

My ride to BA (Aerolineas Argentinas flight AR1181 waiting for a red wine fuelled Mr Elisher)

The genesis of my love for South America came out of a bizarre fascination for all things Amazonian, everything Macchu Picchu related and a 1978 football World Cup that remained eternally embedded in the recesses of my mind for the mythical status which I somehow assigned it from when I was three years of age. Buenos Aires on the other hand was a city that I fell for hook, line and sinker during my first escapade to the South American continent in 2010, and a return for me on this occasion was an indulgence that I was more than looking forward to.

Catch you on the flipside SYDNEY!

Some 12hrs flying time out of Sydney and a little under 3 hours from Buenos Aires, the sun and my vehicle of transportation had repelled one another like the magnetic pole brethren of the skies that they are. All that I was left with was a magnificently coloured sunset at a cruising altitude of 35,000 feet and the feeling that somehow my return to BA was redemption for the way in which I was forced to exit the city two years earlier.

Sunset at 35,000 feet - 2hrs out of Buenos Aires - Argentina

Sunset over Argentina

There's two things I love about arriving at a foreign destination, both of which are not mutually inclusive. The first is the uncertainty and slightest bit of apprehension that you carry upon arriving at a destination completely unknown to you. Your mind is filled with the obvious questions of 'where will I exchange currency?','how will I get by without knowing the language?' and 'Will selling my body on the street be worth anything here?'. Then there's the destination that you know and feel comfortable with, BA is one of those places for me. Like landing at BA's Ezeiza airport and knowing that the battleground that you must encounter for the purposes of immigration, luggage collection and customs is an inevitable 90 min ordeal that you just have to accept. It's simply the price of admission kiddies and accepting that prevent you from reaching your internal boiling point and igniting the readily flammable Latin carnival that is unfolding before your eyes. Then there's also the 'advanced' knowledge you have of the transport system where dodging a 200 peso cab ride in favour of a 50 peso bus ride and 2 peso train ride is a saving which can be translated into a more than sumptuous welcome dinner at your favourite parilla in San Telmo.

So it was that my love of the 'known destination arrival' which combined for a simple short walk from the bus station to Retiro station and then a relatively short ride via the subte to the Independenzia stop. From there my half decent skills of orientation led me directly to the bright coloured La Boca like doors of the Ayres Portenos Hostel on calle Peru, and a few minutes later I was standing on my balcony overlooking calle Chile in the barrio of San Telmo and planning my first attack on the neighbourhood parillas.

A meat lovers paradise! Desvivel on La Defensa - San Telmo - Buenos Aires - Argentina

The great thing about BA is that the nightlife doesn't really start to spice up until near midnight, which also means that restaurants, cafes, and bars are open into those early hours of the morning where by comparison, a sad nightlife deficient city like Sydney would already be kicking out their drunken patrons onto their desolate streets and funneling them off  to those omnipresent e-coli riddled kebab haunts that we actually dearly love. Not the case with BA my friends, they know how to work their clocks 24-7! Which meant for me that on the stroke of midnight I was walkin in El Desvivel, a typical Porteno parilla in the heart of San Telmo, ready to get started on my meat and Malbec conquest of the town.

That's what I'm talking about! El Desvivel - San Telmo - Buenos Aires - Argentina

Now for those of you that may be a little clueless about what a parilla actually is, don't be alarmed, let Mr Elisher fill in the missing gaps for you. Good 'ole Wikipedia states that a parilla is a style of grill used for cooking asado (barbeque), commonly found in South America. I however know it is a place where a carnivore can gorge themselves on exquisite meat, made in typically South American fashion, which makes you want to bleed blue and white for the simple fact that you know your state of euphoria can never ever be replicated outside of this country. A bottle of Argentinian Malbec, a morcilla, a fantastically made bife de chorizo and Mr Elisher had well and truly checked out for the evening!

San Telmo - Buenos Aires - Argentina

San Telmo - Buenos Aires - Argentina

One block up from calle Peru & Chile - San Telmo - Buenos Aires - Argentina

Hours later, glowing in my first night indulgence, I walked around San Telmo for what must have been hours, just taking in the night time splendour of its cobblestone streets, deteriorating old world charm, it's night time vibrancy. Settling for a little pit stop at the well known Bar Dorrego, on the boundary of the more than well known Plaza Dorrego, I had myself a double cap and drifted off into my self induced Porteno wonderland. This stay was 'gonna be good!'

3:00am at Bar Dorrego - San Telmo - Buenos Aieres - Argentina

Argentina 2012

Argentina

The Two-Timer Tour
18 August - 29 August 2012

San Telmo - Buenos Aires - 2010

If you do not go after what you want you'll never have it

If you do not ask the answer will always be no

If you do not step forward you'll always be in the same place



In the tradition of other kick-off write ups such as 'Life in a year full of Saturdays', 'The wing and a prayer tour', 'Don't call this a comeback', and '43: The tour of awesome', I bring you Argentina - The two-timer tour.

I had a friend that told me on many an occasion that I was 'charmed' which  seemed to me a very nice and quite diplomatic way of saying ' I think you're one lucky MOFO'. On reflection I have to admit that I never really liked the way in which she said it, actually I quite took offence  because it insinuated that good things merely fell into my lap, in a shower of gifts from the Gods type of scenario, and this I can wholeheartedly say has never been the case. I've always had it in my mind that to be 'charmed' or 'lucky' you had to actively place yourself in the position where it could find you. I mean you can't win the lottery without going out and buying a ticket...although we did have a client walk into our office a few days ago telling us that he had received an e-mail from Ghana, explaining to us in very great detail that he was to be the sole inheritor of $2.5 million in gold. The work that he asked us to undertake related to 'getting his documents in order' and also included the firm instructions of telling us that his wife was not to know. Still now I wonder as to the aspect of not telling his wife and wonder if it related to the fact that once he received his fabled $2.5 million that he was going to bail quicker than you could say Hassan M'souli, or, that he really didn't want his wife to know that he was in actual fact quite a naive dumb arse spending exorbitant amounts on the services of a law firm for the sake of a whim.

As I said earlier, I do take small offence to the 'charmed' aspect but I do however admit to having an understanding with the universe when it comes to travel. This little adventure being a key example.So I was sitting back at home one Sunday morning and thinking to myself, now where in the world would you like to go after you complete your PLT, if you had the means? Immediately Buenos Aires popped into my head, along with the formidable price tag, airfares alone coming in at $2500. But don't fear! As I said, the universe and I have this thing. It goes something like this, I think it, I secretly ask for it, and somehow the universe kind enough to deliver the key which more often than not lets me open the door to what I was looking for. Fast forward two weeks later, a Sunday morning in late April, and I swing to the travel pages, as is quite standard for me. Two pages turned and there jumping out at me was an Aerolineas Argentinas advert announcing return airfares to Buenos Aires for under $1000!!! 'HELLO, did someone just call my name!?'. I had myself locked into a return airfare to BA by mid-morning on the Monday.

Why Buenos Aires you ask? Well, it's simple, we ALSO have a thing. I think if I ever got into a relationship with someone then I would probably cheat on them with Buenos Aires. 'So you have to work this weekend Henry?', would actually mean that I'm running away for a few days in order to put myself into a meat and malbec induced coma. 'Oh, a funeral to attend, how unfortunate for you', would in turn equate to an empanada, tango and chorizo infested break from reality where my veins would run wild with sweet reds imported from Mendoza and the nights would inevitably involve me propping my head up in some random bar along the cobblestoned backstreets of San Telmo.

I read a quote that Paulo Coehlo stole from some else recently, and it went a little something like this;

'Solitude is not the absence of company but rather the moment when our soul is free to speak to us and help us decide what we want to do with out life'

I like travelling solo. Friends have often asked me why it is that I'm so 'weird' in this regard and also for that fact that I have quite frequently travelled with guests and co-conspirators. Often after answering with the standard response, 'I enjoy the freedom and not having to constantly consider the well being and type of time  my friends are having', the real reason that I find myself encountering is that  travelling solo for me becomes a time when I can just forget everything else and connect with who I am. I mean that might sound cheesy but then again I always did enjoy a slice of Stilton.

My main destination for this escapade is going to be Buenos Aires. As a second time visitor, in a complete 'two-timing' sense I'm looking forward to utilising little inside knowledge  that I already have on the place that swept me off my feet some two years ago. Kind of a butch thing for a sultry seductress like her, but you know, I'm OK with that ......

Alright then, HERE    WE    GO >>>>>>