Today was my “act like a tourist day”. Oh! I forgot to start with last night – my date J

Hernon picked me up at the apartment at 10:30 – yes, I did type that correctly. 10:30! Things work a bit differently here, huh? And we were going to dinner that late. And…I wasn’t even tired. Maybe there’s something in the air. Well, since Frank’s Bar wasn’t open, we went to another “hidden” bar/restaurant called Puertauno – which translates to Door 1. It was in the Chino barrio – which is the Chinatown neighborhood of BA and to get in you literally went up to a huge black door. There were no signs advertising the place and I’m fairly sure you had to know a passcode or something to get in as the doorman (aka bouncer) was not real friendly until some rapid-fire Spanish was exchanged between he and Hernan.

Behind the huge simple door was a very hip, cool restaurant. I really should have taken a photo but I thought I might embarrass my date if I did that. And perhaps expose a secret that I shouldn’t have. Instead I’m showing a photo from the internet. It’s probably better than what I’d take anyway. In order to try some more typical food of Argentina, we ordered rabas fritas which is Argentina’s take on calamari. It is fried squid rings served with just lemon. But they tasted completely different from what we get at home. Much saltier – in a good way! And the lemon cut the salt just a little bit. Delicious! For my main course I had Bondiola which is a pork dish in a dark sauce served with sweet potatoes – which are not sweet potatoes but are potatoes that are sweet. A big difference. But the bondiola was a success. Crunchy on top and juicy in the middle. Clearly my culinary writing could improve but you get the idea. I (finally) had some wine and we talked – again – for hours. We talked about everything from the sexiest languages and people to Latin and American movies. It was a great time! I can’t remember the last time I almost got kicked out of a bar because they were closing. Last night I did it again! It was a gorgeous night and Hernan wanted some ice cream so we walked for a bit around the Belgrano barrio searching for someplace still open. But to no avail. I got back to my apartment at 2:30 – very late for this old girl but it was totally worth the 4 hours of sleep!

Today was another spectacular day in BA. Very warm for this time of year according to my host and more Carolina blue skies. So I wanted to take advantage of the weather and finally get on the silly tourist bus. So after class I boarded the Buenos Aires bus. This was stops at 25 locations around the HUGE city and you can get on and off at your leisure. The school recommended I do this in order to figure out where I wanted to spend more time later. It was fascinating. I was on the bus for a total of 3.5 hours and really got a good overview of the city and where I need to return in order to shop/buy art/see live music. I’m so glad I did it. I saw all of the important monuments and wore a silly headset so got to hear the history behind all of them.

During the tour, we passed by the Puerto Madera – the port of BA. Anyone that has been on my Facebook page has seen a picture of this port at night. It is my cover photo. I’d been told my multiple people that I had to see it. It is a very new and very wealthy barrio in BA. There are skyscrapers right on the river as well as a private university and luxury hotels and condos. It’s stunning but a little boring. It doesn’t have some of the charm of the rest of this city if you ask me. But my teacher recommended a restaurant on the river in the neighborhood so I’m going to give it a shot. It is very safe here and also absolutely beautiful as the lights from the surrounding buildings are reflected in the water.

I’m supposed to be going my homework but in the spirit of telling a story – and remembering every cool thing that happened today – I’m writing this blog post instead.

Oh! First thing’s first… for anyone thinking of coming to Buenos Aires it’s worth knowing one thing. I paid 60 pesos for 2 VERY SMALL cups of coffee. That is about 7 dollars. A few hours later, I paid 23 pesos for a BOTTLE OF WINE. That is about $2.70. Clearly some of the Argentinian priorities are spot on!

Moving on…today was fantastic! It was a beautiful day in Buenos Aires – about 75 degrees and Carolina blue skies. Class was good but I’m not thrilled with how it’s taught. Like the class I took in Charlotte, it is very focused on rules and conjugation and the exact way to say and write things. Maybe it’s my age but I’m having a very hard time remembering all of these rules! And I get upset with myself when I don’t get something exactly right. And then when I’m out in the real world in Argentina I find myself hesitating to use the Spanish that I know for fear that I won’t say something correctly. I need to stop that! For me, it’s truly more important to communicate than to be perfect and I need to remember that.

Along the same vein, after class – since the tourist bus that I wanted to get on was sold out – I asked my teacher for a recommendation for a typical Argentinian restaurant – but not a steak house. Although it was about a 4-mile walk away, it was worth it! It was in the Recoleta neighborhood and no one in the restaurant spoke any English and the menu was entirely in Spanish. So I basically pointed at something and ordered that. I ordered una parrilla – which is meat cooked on a grill on top of greens. I got salmon (the only thing I recognized) and it was so good. The greens are not served with any dressing. You’re supposed to use olive oil and a lot of it. I took my time eating and was doing my homework at the table when the men next to me asked in Spanish if I was from America. So began a wonderful afternoon! I met Matias and his friend. Matias spoke very good English and we spoke a little Spanglish together while he and his friend told me all of the great places to see in BA as well as where to get some local art. I asked about local live music and instead of telling me where to go, Matias asked if I wanted him to show me. Well, why not? I had a few hours to kill before my tango class. So his friend went back to work and Matias and I went for a very long walk around part of BA talking the whole time.

Along the walk, Matias told me of a local writer named Cortazar. And one of the cafes with live music – called Clasica y Moderna Libreria – also has a library (bookstore) inside of it. This café has been around for 75 years and hosted some amazing musicians. It was such a great place. A café in front – with a grand piano and a bar – and a bookstore in back. Since we had been talking about Cortazar, he bought me one of his books and made me promise to continue my Spanish until I could read it. Seriously, the people I’ve met here – although few – have been so incredible!

Matias and I walked for hours around the city – him pointing out buildings and architecture and theaters and also telling me about life in Argentina. He called life in Argentina right now sad and depressing – again because of the terrible economy. Every single Argentinian that I’ve talked to has said the same thing. It’s a terrible situation here and no one knows how to get out of it. It’s fascinating to hear about but sad at the same time.

Matias is only in town for one night for work and he asked me to go listen to some music with him and his friend but…I have a date. I would have enjoyed that very much. What a very, very nice man. Adrienne, he said Thailand changed his life. That is where the found meditation and it centered him and made him who he is today. Awesome…just awesome.

Compared to the rest of my day, the tango class was BORING. No, I can’t say that. I do love to dance. But it was a bunch of very young kids doing tango for the very first time so we didn’t really dance. It was sort of like a high-school dance. Everyone switching partners, stepping on feat and saying “Lo siento” (“I’m sorry”). It is a beautiful dance to watch but I didn’t get a chance to appreciate it there.

It’s now 21:30 (9:30) and I have a date in an hour. I’m very excited! We’re going to Frank’s Bar – a secret bar in a neighborhood near my apartment. I’m very interested in how these bars work. I think they are a fad in BA and that you need some sort of passcode to get in. We’ll see how it goes – if nothing else, it will be very interesting. As I write this, however, I’m reading online that it’s closed tonight. So…what will we do? Who knows and I don’t care!

Check back tomorrow and I’ll let you know. Chow!

Hola amigos! Today was my first day of class. I was up way too early to take the Subte – the underground in Buenos Aires – to my 8 am Spanish test. One of our teachers said it was also called an almost-free sauna. The temperature outside was a nice 60 degress or so but in the Subte it was more like 85. And forget about personal space – I got closer to men than I’ve gotten in quite a while! But I’ll get used to it.

Upon arriving at the school – along with about 12 other students – I took my placement exam and had to prove my knowledge by introducing myself to one of the staff. Apparently I did ok because I’m in A-2 instead of A-1. This just means that I have enough Spanish that I got to skip the first week of classes. So I’m starting a little bit ahead. My class is being taught by Christine – who seems to have a very smart-ass sense of humor. Clearly, I like her very much! There are only 2 other students in the class – a girl from France and an English bloke who is taking a year off school (he’s 18!) to travel the world. And remember when I thought that I’d be the oldest one at the school? Well, I’m AT LEAST 16 years older than anyone else! HA! That’s ok, I just have that much more life experience 🙂 But everyone is very nice. Most of them are staying in Buenos Aires for multiple months to learn Spanish. Me = old and jealous!

We finished with class at 1 and went to a brief orientation of the city center where the school is located. Expanish is in the micro-center of Buenos Aires – surrounded by banks and high-end shops and offices. Our guide showed us where to get pizza rica (delicious pizza) as well as un café (coffee). Then we had a “safety” talk. There were some stories there! Needless to say, keep an eye on your belongings at all times and don’t travel to certain neighborhoods within the city. I have learned from multiple locals about how corrupt the Argentinian government is. Apparently there are hours where – in certain neighborhoods – the police “disappear”. They also make an effort to scare the tourists. But no big deal, if you get in trouble, you can just buy them off. iPhones seem to be the preferred form of payment.

With the afternoon to myself, I took a bus to La Recoleta Cemetery. In order to navigate my way to my destination, I used what I’ve learned in the 2 days since I arrived – I pointed to my map and batted my eyelashes at the driver! This has worked for me 2 for 2 times! See? I do learn quickly.

Eva Peron’s tomb.

La Recoleta Cemetery is one of the world’s most famous cemeteries. It is where the important people of Argentina are buried – including Evita – Eva Peron. It is creepy! But also beautiful. There are graves and mausoleums from the 18th century to as late as today. In fact, there was a local family there just come from a funeral. Sad – but also lovely.

Now I sit at Distal Café in the barrio of Recoleta. I’ll have another nice dinner with my host family tonight. Last night was the only night I was “allowed” to speak English to my host’s 2 sons. Tonight I have to rely on my small amount of Spanish. The cool part, however, is that we’ll figure it out. And have some laughs in the meantime.

Tomorrow I’m going to behave like a real tourist and get on a double-decker bus of the city. This city is so huge that I figure it will be a nice was to get an overview of everything. Then I’m going to take a tango class – that ought to be hilarious. Then, if all goes according to plan, a date!

Buenos noches!

After a long but uneventful flight, I arrived to a nasty, nasty Sunday in Buenos Aires. So much for the city welcoming me with sunny skies and open arms. But just as in any locale, there are always icky days.

Well right out of the gate, almost literally, I’m a dumb American. The customs officer asked me my address in Buenos Aires and I pulled my meticulously printed itinerary out of my bag to realize that the only thing I didn’t print was the address of the place I was to stay here. Really, Aim? Following a little bit of panic on my part, they let me into the country with me hoping the people I was to meet would know where the heck to take me. Well, they did know where to take me but I didn’t even know the name of the woman who was hosting me – nor her number nor her address. We made it to the apartment and she wasn’t answering her doorbell. Well, luckily this dumb American also has a big smile and the voice of a small child begging for a treat. My driver nicely called my host and I finally got in. I’m now soaked, scared and a bit confused but I do have shelter. And my host – Virginia – is great! She’s a single mom in her 40s and speaks about as much English as I do Spanish. But crazily, we had about an hour-long conversion and really understood what the other was “saying”. I think we’re going to get along great.

Since it was pouring, my plans for the outdoor market changed. Virginia recommended I go to a nearby barrio (neighborhood) called Palermo – by bus to shop and eat and walk around – yes, in the rain. It took us – ok, me – about 20 minutes to figure out how to get there and I still got lost. But again, “Mi Espanola es mal” worked and along with pointing, I got to my destination, drenched but hopeful. This barrio is known for it’s shops and restaurants and tourists. I was in desperate need of una copa de vino blanco and came upon a small café that was almost full and seemed to have a good bit of personality – called Le Pain Quotidien. They also had a community table – which is nice for a solo traveler like me. I can sit surrounded by others so that I can people watch and listen to the language and I don’t have to take up an entire table. And they had WiFi! So there I sat with my glass of wine and in comes 3 people who happen to sit next to me at the end of the community table. The man – very cute 27-year-old Hernan, and I struck up a conversation. Seriously, these are the moments where I realize that I’m LUCKY! The kindness and friendliness was such a relief after the fear of the morning. And perhaps it goes to show me that the universe gives you what you need right when you need it.

Anyway, I ended up talking to Herman and his parents for a good two hours. He told me about some good things to do and see while I was here and his parents and I compared puppy photos – Max, they think you’re “funny looking”. I learned a little bit about their culture and they learned a little bit about mine and it was fantastic. Carmen and Giuseppe even bought me my lunch – so sweet and kind! And Hernan and I have a date scheduled later in the week. He’s going to take me to see some live jazz – somewhere that only the locals know about. Yay! And Giuseppe had Hernan give me his number so that I have it in case of emergency. Mom – please don’t worry – they totally treated me like I could be their daughter. It gave me a glimpse into the kinds of people I may meet here and I’m thrilled 🙂

I’m about to venture back out into the rain to take a very very much needed NAP. I have to be at the school bright and early tomorrow and feel like I could sleep for a week right now! A shower couldn’t hurt either 🙂

I’ll write again soon. Here’s to making TONS more memories just as good as this one!

Finally! It’s been 10 months since I’ve had a big adventure so I’m ready. Tomorrow I leave on what I know will be another amazing experience. I’m off to Argentina and Chile. In Argentina I’ll be doing a Spanish immersion program at Expanish in Buenos Aires and staying with a host family. Hopefully I’ll leave those classes with the ability to have a decent conversation with the locals. Then I’m off to Chile to trek Patagonia at Ecocamp Patagonia.

As I get ready to take off, some similar thoughts go through my mind. Check out the musings of this adventure traveling girl! And check back over the next few weeks – I plan to blog on a daily basis.

1. Get absolutely everything out of every single moment that you can. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime trip and you’ve worked hard and saved for it. Take advantage of every opportunity to learn and grow – and have a freakin’ blast!
2. Say “I love you and I’ll miss you” to the people (and dog) you love. And bring pictures of them with you. When you’re lonely and scared – and you will be – look at those pictures.
3. You can be whoever you want to be – even Candi with a heart over the “i”. But be true to yourself. Unless you’re in danger – then be a bitch and get the hell outta there!
4. Skype your mother. No matter how many crazy trips you take, she’ll still worry.
5. Appreciate the differences in people. What makes them different makes them fascinating. Listen to them, watch them, learn from them and be KIND to them.
6. Take a lot of pictures but don’t live your vacation through a camera lens. Experience it! Remember it! And then WRITE IT DOWN! We all know that after 40, even the most amazing moments in our lives get lost. Have something concrete to bring back all of the happy memories.
7. Even though modern technology allows for us to be connected all of the time, use the opportunity to disconnect and TRY, TRY, TRY to live in the moment. Remember it’s a moment that most others will never have the balls to put themselves in.
8. If you think something nice about someone – even a stranger – say it. Try to say it in their native language but if you can’t, say it anyway. Your sincerity and smile will shine through.
9. Clean the house before you leave. It’s bad enough that you don’t want to come home; coming home to a dirty house makes it that much worse.
10. Have your favorite meal the day before you go. You’ll miss it! I’ll be at Al Mike’s tonight if anyone wants to join me.

Off I go! Salud!