On the night that we arrived, we took part in a free tango lesson arranged by our hostel and from the moment our instructors taught us to 'caminar' to the vintage sounds of violins and accordions the whole class was hooked. They kindly suggested a 'milonga' that we could attend at a tango venue called La Catedral. A milonga is a pre-arranged gathering that somehow seems to have been trapped in time, providing a supply of live tango music, a bar and a dance floor - then it is up to the men to invite the women to dance... And my goodness can these people dance! It's not the cold, surgical tango that you see on tv... It is intimate and relaxed and it is made to look so easy that even Cata and I had a go when we caught the eyes of two fine Argentineans... Of course I could leave out the fact that my man, Pedro, was well into his 80s and that I stepped on his feet quite a few times but to be honest I think that that only adds to the charm. Anyway, I'm sure that Pedro was a fine catch in his prime!
I was disappointed that I didn't think to have a photo taken with the man with whom I 'danced' my first tango - but as chance would have it, the next day we stumbled across an outdoor milonga in our area and there he was. He spotted me in the crowd and invited me to dance once more and so I got the chance to take my photo... Take note that I haven't posted the photos of me actually attempting to tango as I genuinely look like a lame duck and it would really ruin the anecdote... Instead I've posted a lovely photo of Pedro and I stood still, and a nice photo of the talented folks dancing at the milonga.
As well as introducing us to the basics of tango, our dance class also lead us to cross paths with an amazing American woman with whom we spent the evening... Katelyn from California was 62 going on 23 and on a 2 month holiday away from her husband. She (and Tina Turner...) have crystallised my faith that youth is just a state of mind and I'd like to thank her for that.
San Telmo, the area that we stayed in, is peppered with antique shops, vintage looking cafes and restaurants and quirky clothes shops. On Sunday there was a large market all the way along Avenida Defensa near our hostel. The shopaholic in me couldn't resist the urge to buy a brown leather bomber jacket which I've just about managed to crush into my backpack.
When we were at Iguassu Falls we noticed that practically every Argentinean there was lugging around a giant thermos flask which we later found out was te mate. Naturally curious to see what this fuss was about, Cata and I ordered one at one of the many quaint little cafes and swiftly came to the conclusion that it can't taste unlike licking an ashtray... An acquired taste methinks though I am told that if you drown it in enough sugar and lemon peel it starts to taste nicer... I can't say we are tempted to give it another chance though (cute as though the little pots and straws you drink it out of are - photo below).
Tea tasting aside, we had some amazing meals as you can imagine - fat juicy steaks and burgers washed down with full bodied red wines. One place we went to, La Poesia, had a piano player and at one point a woman walked in off the street to break into song and unleash a voice that made every hair on my body stand on end - after a couple of songs she walked around with a hat to collect some well deserved tips. Unfortunately it is difficult to capture the essence of Buenos Aires with only words and photos as the city is saturated in beautiful melodies.
On a still beautiful but more morbid note, we visited the cemetery in Recoleta which is famous for it's miniature city of mausoleums and ornate statues, one if which is the final resting place of Eva 'Evita' Peron... And of course no visit to Buenos Aires is complete without muddling your way through the tourist hoardes to take those lovely token snaps of the colourful houses on Caminito in La Boca.
I could go on and on but I think that covers the highlights! The only other thing I'll mention that never failed to put a smile on my face was the sight of the many dog walkers moving along in a tide of wagging tails.
On the bus to Mendoza now where we've arranged a few active tours to help us burn off all that beef and booze...
Key info, Buenos Aires:
How we got here: 15ish hour bus from Puerto de Iguassu
Hostel: Ostinatto, San Telmo - Large chilled out hostel with slightly worn mattresses but good atmosphere and great location. The free tango and yoga classes were a highlight.
www.ostinatto.com
Venues:
La Catedral: Brilliant tango venue where they hold classes and milongas every day/night. Looks like an abandoned warehouse decorated with lots of vintage clutter - great vibe and felt very authentic.
www.lacatedralclub.com
La Poesia: Another brilliant find right on our street, Chile, in San Telmo.
http://www.welcomesantelmo.com/san-telmo-guide/5m3xncdtgz/La-Poesia
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