Friday, March 25, 2011

BA Day 6: North to Belgrano

Friday, March 25th. Day six in BA. I have covered much of this great city and have gotten to know my way around some parts quite well. I hadn't been to one barrio yet, but I was going to today: Las Cantinas and Belgrano (LCB here-on in).

LCB is the most northern barrio in BA, bordering Palermo and Palermo Viejo. I made my way up there via subte. I haven't mentioned it yet, and now seems like a good time: subte rides can be quite interesting. Invariably there is always someone walking through the cars trying to sell something: gum, books, even pastries a couple of times. The gum and book sellers have a peculiar method: They first walk through placing the item on everyone's lap, apparently to give potential customers a chance to check out the item, then walk back through, usually taking most of the stuff back (not many buyers) and taking money from those that actually want whatever it is. A couple of times people have come onto the cars with drums to play for money. Just a few moments ago two dudes came one, one with a bongo, the other a saxophone, to form some pretty nice beats. At one of the stations I have to transfer at, the last two times the same guy has been on the platform with his guitar, belting out classics like Kenny Rogers' "The Gambler". BA has its fair share of characters.

Right, anyway, LCB. Its a lot like Palermo, it is pretty short on tourist stuff, but is still interesting to stroll around. Las Cantinas is primarily residential, and is even more upscale then Palermo is. There are actually homes here, and some are downright beautiful. There is a mixture, some have an older, colonial design, while others are done in a more modern fashion. The streets were quite quiet here, and walking amongst some of these homes was pretty neat. At one point it came to me that "hey, I am in a residential area" and a thought occurred to me: I am a semi-decent history buff, I wonder if this is where Nazi-war criminal Adolf Eichmann lived before the Mossad nabbed him in a secret operation? I found a McDonald's (Adam's Travel Tip #4: If ever in desperate need of an internet connection, find a Mickey D's, they are all outfitted with wifi). I used my iPod touch (ok, now I am looking for some money from Apple, it will come) and found out that Eichmann did indeed have a home in a residential area, but way at the other end of the map, below La Boca, as it were. Oh well, not today Adam.

Further up, into Belgrano. Belgrano only had one thing I was interested in, and that was BA's Chinatown. I made my way there, and I made it to the ever-present Chinese gate that seems to be at the entrance of every Chinatown around the world. It was pretty disappointing though. Most of the people milling about this area were definitely not Chinese, and not even all of the store owners looked to be Chinese. Very small as well, only a couple of streets. I didn't spend much time here, but some of the restaurants did give off some smells that reminded me very much of my time in Beijing, wandering side streets looking for nothing in particular. I enjoyed that moment quite a bit.

It didn't take me too long to finish up in LCB, so I came back for a rest before setting out again. The day was young, and I decided to go to Florida.

Florida if you remember is the pedestrian only street near the Plaza de Mayo. I thought it would be neat to check out on a Friday as the work day came to an end. It was. By the time I got there it was already packed with all kinds of characters: couples out for a stroll, pretty young ladies (yeah I noticed) doing some shopping, trinket-sellers and crafts-people with blankets laid out selling their wares, hawkers handing out pamphlets for tour-buses, restaurants and strip-clubs, as well as a handful of street muscians.

I got lucky once again. How can you come to Buenos Aires and not experience some tango? Well, as it so happened, a tango-couple were just setting up to do a performance right on the street just as I was wandering by. They had a couple signs standing up, advertising their DVD (they gotta be good then, I mean, a DVD!) and already had the stereo all set up for music. The lady was not too bad looking, but man, the guy looked past it. Smoking had obviously done a job on his face (I am assuming the pack of Marlboros sitting on the stereo were his), his teeth were the color of bark, and the amount of grease he used on his hair made him look like a thug from one of the Godfather films. Given the dude's appearance, I thought maybe this would be a far cry from paying for a performance, but I gave it a shot and stood in with the gathering crowd.

I didn't watch for long, but they were pretty damn good, at least I think (I know as much about dancing as Kenny Mayne does). The guy got winded pretty quick, but still it was entertaining to see two people go about the tango. There, boom, check it off, tango has been viewed (for free!).

I wandered about just a little more, and round my way to the Plaza de Mayo. I had read that peaceful demonstrations were a common occurrence in the Plaza, and there was definitely one today.  A group of women were beating drums and chanting slogans, apparently calling for abortion rights (aborto legal, so I am just guessing here), and they were doing it in the corner facing the Cathedral!! For shame. I stopped to gawk for a moment, and an older guy walked by and said something to me in Spanish, shaking his head and gesticulating at the group. No fan of abortion I guess....or drums.

I let my day end with that, I made my way back to the subte, and now here I am. I still haven't had dinner yet, so that is the next thing on my mind.

Uruguay tomorrow folks, be sure to come back for the recap.


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