Downtown BA Hostel Buenos Aires

... was going on in Plaza Dorrego the other day, whilst we were fighting pigeons off our table.

El Hipopotamo was a lovely find. It dates back to 1904 and began life a grocery store that also served drinks. Over time the grocery side of the business became less until it eventually became what it is today. It has retained many of the original fittings and features, though we couldn’t quite work out ...

... of the place.

Palermo is also a pretty affluent area, its where all the night life is and about a 20 minute cab ride from San Telmo, about 20 pesos will get you there. I have to say Waz and I have caught a few cabs in Buenos Aires and the experience has been really good. You hear stories about being driven to some deserted town and being stripped of all your worldly possessions while someone does the tango on your head, but luckily we haven’t experienced any of that. We were ...

... We had 4 days of lessons, each for 3 hours. We met with Tatty (our teacher) in different coffee shops around the city after lunch each day. The first half of the lessons took place in the coffee shops then we went out and about to various places such as the supermarket, the bus station, book store etc.. and had to carry out tasks in Spanish. The lessons ended at places of ...

... the right in front of the park. It was worth the trouble to find it because the exhibitions were fantastic! It had artworks from every famous artist in Latin America. You could only take a picture at the entrance of the museum. No cameras allowed! After you see the museum and exit at the entrance take a right and walk a couple of blocks to the big park and enjoy a grilled burger and pop ...

... even if they don't really have an answer. Went to bar called Lost to watch some break dancing and listen to hip hop music.  The music was good until they switched it up and started playing hard reggaeton...which I have nothing against but it was just not the night for it hehe. So we leave and we go to CocoLiche which was no where any better but we made the best of it. 

... in the face of muggers, with one such attempt beginning with an assailant claiming that he had a gun bulging from his hoodie pocket. Confronted with this potentially life-threatening situation, the girls wailed, shrieked and stalled the mugger until help arrived, at which point the`yoofs´ fled. The girls sure displayed more balls than I would have done.

But the one event that chilled me most in Rio occurred less than a mile away from our accommodation. It was shocking ...

... plenty to keep us amused for the time we were there anyway. It even stopped raining for a few hours so we could take a wee walk around outside. And would you know it, the area of Montevideo around about the bus terminal (on the outskirts of the city) was actually really nice, leafy avenues and a few nice sculptures etc along the way (see the difference in the pics). Anyway, after what felt like a reasonably quick night and a hearty breakfast early the next morning (followed ...

... was on the second and third floors. It had a couple of bedrooms and a nice living room (that opened up onto a balcony) and a nice kitchen. On the third floor was also another bedroom but a wonderful, huge deck and hot tub. It was great. It was however, 100 degrees outside, really, when we arrived, so we weren't jumping in. I had to sleep and Brian walked around town. The next morning Susan arrived! Of course my alarm didn't go off, but I ...

... a crazy touristy whirlwind of AR or even SA. No, rather, a reflective time of rest and growth in Buenos Aires. And I struggle with that. I feel I have to do stuff. I have to get a cellphone. I have to go visit the school. I have to learn the subway (subte), I have to do my paper for Duke, I have to make sure LDI has workshops, I have to study the Spanish that I skated through last term, I have to... But no. I don't. Do I? I don't know...