Observations
Trip Start
Apr 13, 2008
1
5
17
Trip End
Jun 03, 2008
Buenos Aires,
Argentina
Sunday, April 20, 2008
The triviality and silliness of the Summit is suck a stark contrast to the vibrancy of South American politics and the passion of dissent and protest that has existed here for centuries. Last time I stopped by the famous Plaza de Mayo I ended up chatting to some veterans of the Malvinas war who had set up a protest camp there with lots of banners. I have some photos but can´t post them as yet. ( You don´t say the `Falklands War´ in Argentina.)
The men, mostly aged in their late 40s and early 50s, are suffering the usual post traumatic stress disorder and financial hardships of other war veterans, and are calling for recognition and support from their government - sounds familiar, doesn´t it? There is a new Argentine movie coming out soon about the war called Palabra por Palabra http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0451852. It looks very interesting.
Next Thursday afternoon I´ll stop by the Plaza to see the weekly protest by ´The Mothers of the Disappeared'. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mothers_of_the_Plaza_de_Mayo
A security barrier has also been put up around the Casa Rosada The original pink colour of the building is reputed to have been made from a combination of animal blood (whales or cows) and an oil base (for waterproofing).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casa_Rosada
Jewish buildings and synagogues also have a higher level of security following a couple of fatal bombings reputedly by Islamic groups in the 1990s.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AMIA_Bombing
Back to the current crisis.
The Argentinian president, http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2008/s2199699.htm has describe the burning as a man made environmental disaster. She is certainly facing a political crisis.
Another political protest -freeing unionists?
Can you imagine our farmers deliberately set out to choke Sydney and Melbourne residents by setting fire to our national parks?Last night, just after I booked my accommodation at Iguazu (a double with private bathroom at a popular hostel in the town centre where I can get a 15 per cent discount as a member of the South American Explorers Club http://www.saexplorers.org/club/home ), I turned on TV news to hear that the two BA aeroports have been closed because of the smoke. Not sure how long this will last, I may have to cancel my visit to Iguazu this week .
(One of my fellow houseguests has just walked into the apartment, returning from a night out on the town, apparently the smoke level is not has high today - which hopefully means I will be able to fly out tomorrow morning as originally planned.)
I´ll venture outside in a couple of hours to find a cafe opened for breakfast. While I´m away, here are some jottings of things I have noticed in my first week in Buenos Aires.
1. There is no such thing as grabbing a quick coffee in a polysterene cup on your way to work. If you want a take away expresso shot, it is delivered to your office by a waiter from a nearby cafe, served in a china cup, on a covered tray. The ability of these waiters to weave in and out of the pavement traffic is amazing.
2.
Banners
Buenos Aires may be the place to buy top quality leather shoes, but stilettos and open toed sandals aren´t the best when trying to negotiate your way around the dog droppings and broken pavements that dominate the city streets. I´ve quickly learnt to look down to avoid these little hazards - which can be a problem when also trying to keeping an eye on the mad traffic system here. Crossing the street at time requires a certain level of bravery.3. Men and boys openly greet each other with warm hugs and a kiss on the cheek. I love the Latinos!
4. A cappucino coffee is served in a special glass with the warm milk, coffee and froth in separate layers with grated chocolate on top and a small glass of mineral water on the side and a serving of sweet pastries.
5. Most cafes/restaurants offer a special deal for lunch - this is the main meal of the day since breakfast is not a big deal here. The ´menu of the day´ special often includes a soft drink (gaseosa) or glass of wine, a basket of different breads, a main meal and a dessert for around $A10.
6. The Argentians like their meat. Fish is not often featured on the menu and salads come in standard forms, such as mixed (lettuce, onion and tomato) or the classical Russian, Caesar or Niçoise versions. The range of cuisines we enjoy in Sydney is not in evidence here. Pasta is also available in various versions but you normally only have pasta or gnocci at the end of the month, when you´re running out of money and can´t afford meat. Pizza is popular, traditional in style and cheap. The parrilla is the popular style of cooking and can be found in expensive hotel restaurants and neighbourhood bars.
Rubbish collection - Mendoza
http://argentinastravel.com/basics/cuisine/asado/7. It is quite common to see people walking around drinking mate http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mate_(beverage) I have yet to sample it but I´m told the bitter taste takes some getting used to. Maybe it is like growing up with Vegemite. Carla has quite a collection of mate cups on display in her loungeroom.
8. The main river, Rio de la Plata is a dirty brown colour, which I´m assured is due to natural phenomena http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%ADo_de_la_Plata. I suspect the mucky colour is also due to centuries of pollution and industrial outflows. I´ll never take our waterways and beautiful coastline for granted again.
9. It is not unusual to see whole families out late at night walking the streets. A family of four, including a seven year old girl and a boy toddler came into my wine bar/restaurant around 9.30pm the other night for dinner. The boy was a little grizzly the end but nobody bats an eyelid here to see children out as late as midnight.
10. Time for breakfast. I skipped dinner last night and have just been told that my local cafe just down the street is opened 24 hours a day. I might try for a toasted ham and cheese croissant - I´ve been there twice already and the waitress now recognises me.
hasta luego
Debra
