Get close with the locals... and STEAK

  Buenos Aires, Capital Federal District, Argentina
Saturday, October 4, 2008

Let me just start out by saying I doubt I can keep up with these daily updates, but I just have to share a couple stories.

First off, yesterday, that nap never happened.  So, sometimes I do not make the "wise" choices.  Like going to a concert on almost no sleep, and letting the South American Dave Mathews fan club talk you into squeezing to the front to see Dave Mathews up close...now, you do have to understand, this in NOTHING like going to the front of a show in the US.

I did lay down to take that nap, but the thing is, two of my roommates where in the room.  And no sooner than I lay down, one mentions he is off to the Pepsi Music festival to see Dave Mathews.  So, a few minutes later, off I am.  This is about 5 maybe, heading off to a concert that would go till after midnight.  So, me and my new friend Miguel, from Chile, are off to the show.  Who needs sleep...right?

Got to the show, and bought a ticket.  Soon we start meeting friends of Miguel's, and more friends..  turns out, he is very involved in the South American Dave Mathews fan club, and people have come from all over Argentina and Chile for this show.  This was also my introduction to the ritual of kissing on the cheek...there is no sexual bias here... it takes a little getting used to.  I managed to fake it like a pro though.

Will keep this short, we are positioned about 100 ft from stage for the prior band.  As soon as they get off, the crush starts.  People just start squeezing forward.  Long story short, one hour later as the show is starting, I am maybe 30 ft back, and can not move my arms.  Imagine a packed subway car, now double it.  As the show starts, people start jumping.  You really have no choice, you jump when they jump, I think I could have gone limp and the mass of people would have just carried me up and down.  Occasionally, the entire crowd just falls one direction or the other, it is like a wave, you all stumble back, then to the left, etc.  Now, this may seem scary, like you could easily fall and get crushed, but the thing is, there is no possible way to fall you are crushed in so deep.  Throw in chanting (football cheers I am told) and just the entire foreignness of it (what did that guy just scream?) and it was a hell of a night.  When the chanting first started, Dave Mathews was just standing there looking perplexed, then he just started to work it into the jam.  It was just really cool.

Show gets over and I find one of the fan club, Diego from far north Chile, and we make are way back to near my hostel.  Find a couple bars, but they seem expensive.  So, instead, we join a couple laborers from Peru and a a few tables outside a small local food stall and knock back a few 750mil beers ?at half the price they charged at the hostel bar? till close to 3AM when his uncle picks him up.  What a night.

Get up bright and early at about 10:30 the next day, feeling great other than some very sore ribs.  I head of to Palermo district to hit an art museum.  To stay on theme, that plan got busted when i got hungry and decided it was time for that steak.  I went wandering, and finally decided to hit what is supposed to be one of the best places in town.  I splurge about 23USD for a giant sirlon, a sea of sides, a huge pour of wine, about 2 normal pours, and sparkling wine as a digestif.  I will let the picture tell the rest of the story.  Each of those dishes is a full side, you name it, potatoes salad, mashed potatoes, mushrooms, apples, egg salad, mystery stuff, sundried tomatoes, etc, etc.  And the steak you ask...wonderful!  AND HUGE.

STEAK!

Really, it is a bad picture, the scale is hard to see, but, trust me, those sides are not small, and that steak is like 1.5 inches thick.